Demonic Redemption
by Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh
Summary: In a life-or-death moment, Ruby Rose frees a Demon from the necklace her mother gave her. He would've been immediately shot down, but Ozpin saw it as a chance to fulfil some weird ancient legend. Now she is burdened to keep an eye on him, find four Relics, and save the world. How is that fair?
1. Beginnings

**_And here it is, the first chapter of Demonic Redemption. Mainly just "let-you-know-how-it-works" chapter, but that's important too. As you will see, there are no Semblances here, but instead powers called Luna. Everyone can have multiple Lunas._**

 ** _Anyway, why did I write this? Simple. For the poll on my profile. Keep in mind that the second chapter won't come out until this story wins the poll, so if this story has more than 1 chapter when you're reading this, don't bother searching for the poll. This being said, enjoy!_**

Ruby Rose sighed as she looked out of the train's window. The world outside ran past her so fast she could only see blurred lines of what was near. Fields and houses went by in silence as she allowed the minutes to tick by. She knew it would take the train at least another hour before the landscape changed to Vale's houses and skyscrapers. Living on the small island of Patch had its perks, like the quiet and kind population and the abundance of small Grimm to train with, but it meant she needed to endure several long hours of journey before she arrived to the main city.

She was wearing a black jacket with long sleeves over a dark red shirt, leaving the jacket open since the carriage wasn't very cold despite the air conditioning system being active. She also wore fitting black trousers tucked into black boots with red laces. A necklace hung over her shirt, swaying slightly every time the train bumped into something on the rails, with a dark blue eight-pointed star on the chain. Her right hand was subconsciously touching it, like she always did when she was thinking. A flowing red cape laid folded on the seat beside her. She kept her red-tipped black hair nor short nor long, letting it fall on her nape and on her pure silver eyes. With her dark hair and clothing, her pale skin stood out even more.

To any outsider, the scene would've looked normal – just a girl, if a little Gothic, travelling on her own to the main city – hadn't it been for the sharp scythe resting against the wall. Even civilians would've then recognized her as a Huntborn, a close relative to a Hunter Clan, and thus someone who was born and grown into the Hunt. Someone who was trained to fight the Demons that plagued Remnant.

She had never really been taught how Demons had come to existence, as history was a subject usually covered at the end of a Hunter's training, and she still wasn't done with her training. She only knew what she needed to know in order to fight them.

Demons were divided into two categories, Grimm and Nightmares. The Grimm were extremely easy to detect, beings of darkness with no intellect that spawned from Salem, the Mother Darkness. Despite still being a threat to civilians, many types of Grimm could be easily handled by the Hunters, especially the seasoned ones. The Nightmares were the humanoid Demons, beings as evil as the Grimm, but with the mind and the aspect of a human. No one could tell a Nightmare from a human from aspect alone.

Of course, there were tricks to do it. Animals were always nervous around Nightmares, and the Demons always tried to kill any animal they stumbled into as soon as no one was looking. So many animals were killed, that the Hunters had to actively protect them. Another way was to watch them intently. Despite their intelligence, all Nightmares were intrinsically evil, and thus tried to spread chaos and darkness wherever they went.

Ruby had never fought a Nightmare, but her mother had. Summer Rose, the Deathly Rose as she was called in the Hunter community, had successfully fought and killed eleven highly dangerous Nightmares, and many weaker ones. She had always told Ruby that she had trapped one of those Nightmares inside the blue jewel so that she would be able to summon it and force it to serve her, but Ruby knew better. It was just a lucky charm. Trapping Demons was possible, but no one had ever managed to enslave one. If her mother's tale was true, then summoning the Nightmare would probably just lead to a quick and painful death.

She looked down and sighed once more. She had been doing it again. She removed her hand from the jewel just as the door opened and allowed in another girl, about as short as she was, with long white hair pulled into an askew ponytail, and ice blue eyes. The girl glanced at Ruby, and then took the seat farther away, leaning what looked like a sleek rapier of high quality onto the wall. She was wearing a white open jacket with a red velvet inlay and light blue trousers, as fitting as Ruby's, tucked into high white boots lined with fur.

Ruby knew who she was, everyone on Remnant knew. She was Weiss Schnee, the middle child of the Schnee Clan and also Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. Both titles were held in high regard on their own, but combined they made her one of the most important teens in all of Remnant. The Schnee Clan was one of the oldest Hunter Clans of Remnant and surely the most known, while the Schnee Dust Company, SDC, was the main producer of Hunter weaponry and -despite the name- various equipment. Weiss Schnee was probably amongst the most known teens in the world.

Ruby returned to look out of the window.

She had made her own weapon on her own, with no one to help her. Even though her weapon used materials that were obviously Schnee-made, she didn't feel like she should've acknowledged the girl. The two of them waited in silence for the train to arrive to Vale, Ruby's drop-off point. From there to Beacon, she knew there was another train, a heavily armed and armoured one that brought them to the Academy for Demon Hunters.

"Is this seat taken?" asked a voice, tearing her from her thoughts. She looked back at the door and took in the newcomer.

He was a tall boy with black hair and magenta eyes. A single pink lock stood out on the side of his head. He was wearing white light pants and a simple green tunic with long sleeves. A few hunting knives in their sheaths hung from his belt, showing he too was a Hunter in training. A Huntborn, if she wasn't wrong, of the Lie Clan. Immediately after him entered a shorter girl with ginger hair and turquoise eyes wearing light metal armour in form of a breastplate and plated skirt. She also wore white pants, but she had metallic reinforced boots. Ruby couldn't recognize her by aspect alone, but the symbol on her sleeve said she was from the Valkyrie Clan. A heavy-looking warhammer hung, folded, on her back.

The crimsonette followed the boy's eyes to her scythe, Crescent Rose. It was in its deployed form, and was taking up at least two seats by itself, with the blade lovingly laid on her folded cape. It took her a few seconds to understand the boy's question, but eventually her tired brain managed to catch up and she blushed brightly in embarrassment, removing the scythe and allowing the two newcomers to sit down. She folded it into its compact shape and set it on her lap.

It wasn't uncommon for Demon Hunters to group up like that. Civilians tended to grow nervous around Hunters, due to the Hunter's weapons and combat prowess, so whenever the two castes were pushed together like that, Hunters tended to find other Hunters to group up with to avoid the heavy and sometimes tense silence that usually ensured.

Her hand subconsciously returning to the necklace, Ruby continued to look out of the window, waiting for Vale to appear in her sight. But before a single minute had passed, she felt someone's eyes on her and she turned for the third time, meeting the Valkyrie's water blue eyes. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at Ruby's pendant. "Is it something to ward off the Demons? Oh no, then I wouldn't be able to hunt them! Renny, tell her to stay away from me! I want to hunt Demons!"

Ruby blinked as she girl hid behind the boy, who just sighed and looked at her apologetically. "Forgive her, Nora can be a little… enthusiastic about the Hunt," he explained, his voice deep and neat. Definitely of the Lie Clan. "She is just curious and means no harm."

"Oh no, it's fine, eheh…" Ruby smiled and laughed awkwardly, idly fingering the medallion. "It's a lucky charm from my mother. And no, as far as I know it doesn't ward off Demons."

The girl, Nora, peeked at Ruby from behind the male. "A lucky charm? Does it contain garlic and willy-willy?"

Ruby found herself blinking once again. _'W-What is willy-willy?'_ she asked herself silently. "N-No, it's just a gem… my mother says it's the pommel of a sword. She defeated the Nightmare wielding it and, if her story's true, she trapped it in the gem, forcing it to serve whoever owned the gem," she explained, faltering a bit. The girl in white, Weiss Schnee, shot her an annoyed glare for some reason. "It's just a nice gem. And if a Demon is really in here… well, I really don't want to wake it up."

Weiss huffed. "Trapping a Demon is one of the stupidest things a Hunter could do," she informed them with a lordly voice. "Demons are born from Salem, the Mother Darkness, and return to it when killed. Trapping Dark Essence into a gem is possible, but it never ends well."

Ruby shrank a little.

"I am sure it's just a lucky charm, Ms Schnee," the boy, 'Renny', interjected. "I doubt it actually-"

"You talking about Aunt Summer's little trinket?" asked a new voice.

Ruby closed her eyes as a hand ruffled her hair, scattering all over the place. The newcomer, a busty blonde girl with very long hair and lilac eyes, sat down in the seat across Ruby. She was wearing high boots, black short shorts, a yellow undershirt and an open brown jacket. All her clothing seemed purposefully chosen to show off all the girl's curves perfectly, and give all the interest ones a good look of her cleavage. Ruby sighed as her half-sister Yang Xiao Long grinned at her. "Hey there, Rubes. Good to see you made it here. I was starting to fear you'd remain at the Rose Household."

Ruby sighed and looked at the girl. "Hey Yang," she greeted tiredly. "And yeah… I guess it's nice, right?"

"You bet," she shot back before turning to the boy. "Oh, and as for you, Rubes's trinket is just a large gem her mother's given her. It's possible she took it from a Nightmare's sword, though, she killed quite a few of those bastards." She grinned and extended her hand. "And my name's Yang. Yang of the Xiao Long Clan. And she's my little half-sister Ruby of the Rose Clan"

The boy took her hand. "Ren of the Lie Clan, and this is my childhood friend, Nora of the Valkyrie Clan."

Yang frowned. "Wasn't the Valkyries…" she trailed off, noticing a shadow going through Nora's eyes. "Oh, I…"

"Yes, the Valkyrie Clan was wiped out by the Demons," sighed Ren, briefly closing his eyes. "She was adopted by my family long ago, and we basically grew up together."

"But not together-together, eheh," Nora laughed nervously, shooting a glance at Ren. Yang blinked in mild amusement. "Because that'd be weird, right?"

"I don't think so," Yang smirked, leaning forwards, until Ruby angrily kicked her shin. "Ow! What the hell, Ruby?"

"Stop trying to embarrass them," the crimsonette hissed to her sister. That was a habit Yang had never gotten rid of. The two of them were close, but not overly so, as they trained in different Households. Yang had been the daughter of a temporarily alliance with the Branwen Clan, while Ruby was born from a deal between the Rose and the Xiao Long Clans. It was important for the Clans to breed only between themselves to maintain the Hunt a family tradition one couldn't just marry into.

Yang Xiao Long huffed and peeked at Nora's red cheeks, inwardly sighing at the missed chance. "Ugh, fine, let's just hope for this train to go a little faster."

The door opened once more and allowed in yet another girl, another Huntborn. She had short dark brown hair and blue eyes… honestly, three out of the six in the carriage had blue eyes… but they held a somewhat cruel light in them. She wore a light brown jacket with the sleeves torn off to reveal toned tattooed arms. She also had brown low boots and fingerless black leather gloves. A pant leg went missing around mid-thigh, while the other was messily tucked into the boot. Yang narrowed her eyes when the girl entered. "Vernal," was all she said.

"It appears my whore of a sister is here as well," scoffed the girl, not taking any seat. The only free one was between Yang and Weiss Schnee, and she apparently didn't want to take the chance. "How many times have you fucked Oscar for his father to allow you into Beacon?"

Yang's eyes turned red, a sign she was about to use the Power Rage, one of the Lunas of the Xiao Long Clan.

The Luna were called such because of a legend behind them. It was told that back when the Moon was whole, people had no magic and no way to unlock their Auras. The Brothers Gods had pitied humanity, who was forced to fight the Demons of Darkness with sticks and stones, so they decided to give them a gift. They had fractured the Moon and broken it into many pieces, giving them to as many people. Those were the first wielders of the Lunas.

Every Clan held different Lunas, and protected their secrets dearly. Even though Lunas were taught, not awakened like Aura, it was strictly forbidden to teach a family Luna to a Clan outsider, punishable with banishment. The Schnees had stolen or spied the others families for their Lunas, arriving to the point of abducting, torturing and murdering the members to snatch their secrets: it was so that the Schnees had gained so many Lunas, empowering their members and agents with sometimes even three or four times as many Lunas as a normal Demon Hunter. That was in the past, but few had forgiven the Schnees for such an act.

Ruby herself only had two Lunas, Speed and Rose, that she often used in tandem. Speed was pretty self-explanatory, increasing her speed the more Mana she used for it, while Rose was more tricky. It allowed her to turn her body into some aeriform gust of rose petals. She barely felt the hits when using Rose, but she couldn't attack and it used a lot of Mana. As far as she knew Yang had Power Rage, a Luna that increased her strength the angrier she got, Damage Mirror, that allowed her to use the received hits to power herself up, and Fire Burst. The last was the trickiest and the one she liked to use the most outside combat and the less during a fight. It usually just generated a small explosion of fire around her, and it had next to no combat ability due to the very small radius. Even when she used all her Mana into it, it rarely got wide enough to hit an adversary.

To be honest, Ruby considered Mana to be quite more useful than Aura. Sure, Aura protected her and healed her wounds, but with her low reserves she still relied on not getting hit, while Mana allowed her to use her Lunas. If she had to choose between turning all her Mana into Aura or turning all her Aura into Mana, she'd surely choose the second. Unfortunately, they came as a joint package, and no one could access their Mana without accessing their Aura as well. All except for the Grimm, of course, as they had Mana without having any kind of Aura. Nightmares were a slightly trickier matter, as they had both. Although since Aura could only be unlocked in beings with a soul, Nightmares' version of Aura had been called _Dusk_ , to symbolize the eternal night they tried to bring to the world.

She focused back on the conversation just in time to hear Vernal huff and turn away from Yang, whose eyes were still red. The girl's blue eyes settled on her, and a hint of malice appeared in them. "So you are my sister's bastard sister, aren't you?" she asked with a grin, making her flinch.

Yang basically roared as she stood up and shoved the girl, Vernal, out of the carriage's door. The blonde slammed the door strong enough to make it shake even after she let go of the handle and stomped back to her seat. "Fucking damn cunt," she swore under her breath.

Fortunately, the rest of the journey passed in relative calm, even though Yang remained in a bad mood until they reached Beacon.

/-/

Beacon Academy for Demon Hunters.

She was there.

Ruby looked around, admiring the huge fortress built on the top of a cliff, with a gigantic reinforced wall that surrounded it and protected it from most of the Grimm. Any attacker would've quickly been shot down by the guards constantly patrolling on the walls, but the student body itself was usually enough to keep the Grimm in the surrounding area down to reasonable levels.

On a side, an immense forest extended up to the horizon, its green trees hiding the Demons lurking within. On another, she could spot another forest in the distance, but with blood-red leaves. The cliff dropped vertically into a huge lake whose depths were probably still unexplored, and probably inhabited by Grimm. Still, she liked how deep it looked, even just a hundred yards from the shore the waters were basically black.

Beacon itself was glorious. The inner side of the perimeter wall was decorated with colonnades and archways. Between the fortress's castle and the wall there was a wide garden full of trees, grass and small, artificial streams and ponds to liven up the place. Beyond it she could see Beacon proper, a huge castle topped by a giant tower, Ozpin's if she wasn't wrong. The newly-adapted-to-school old stronghold looked very solid, but also kinda artistic. It was built like garrisons, but it had open balconies on the rooftops, and high-in-the-air walkways on the sides of the walls. She had no idea why those walkways were there, but they looked cool.

She stepped onto the path with a large smile. Finally. She was there. She was in Beacon. She was-

"Heya lil' sis!"

-Yang.

She turned to look at the blonde girl, who just grinned at her. "Hey Yang. I guess this is it, huh?"

The taller girl just barked out a laugh as she playfully punched Ruby's shoulder, making her wince."Whoops, sorry, didn't mean to hit that hard. But yeah, this is it! This is the day we start seriously kicking some butts!" Yang punched the air and made some silly victory dance. "I still can't believe ancient Ozpin did this. I mean, sure it's cool, but it's totally unheard of!"

Ruby smiled a little more genuinely at that. Yang was right, it was completely unheard of. Up until their parents' generation, each Clan trained their own Huntborns until they were ready to seriously join the Hunt. But Huntlord Ozpin, current head of the Ozpin Clan, had decided to try and unify all the Clans by turning his household into a school for the future Hunters. Not all the Clans had agreed, and some had even be against the idea, but eventually he had managed to get permission from the Hunter Council and had built the school. And now Ruby was there, and nothing was going to stop her. "Yeah, it's pretty cool," she smiled at her stepsister. "Come on, let's get going. I can't wait to see Beacon proper."

Yang laughed as the two of them jogged up the path that lead into the school. Many other students were there as well, gazing dreamily at the large buildings or admiring the gardens. The Ozpin Clan was one of the richest Hunter Clans of Remnant, and their wealth reflected in their household-turned-school. Ruby had never seen something as magnificent as that. It was breath-takingly beautiful. And she was going to live there until she was ready to join the Hunt.

Ignoring Yang's cry of 'Wait!', she used her Luna, Speed, to shoot forwards. She couldn't wait. Dodging a few other students, she halted in the middle of the garden, grinning brightly, before shooting off once more, not caring about how much Mana she was consuming for something as superfluous as that. She couldn't wait. She looked around to get a look at her possibly new Hunt comrades, but none of them really attracted her attention, so she just sped into the atrium, pouting when she saw that she wasn't the first.

A red-haired girl dressed in light bronze armour stood a little to the side, tall and rigid as she waited for everyone else to arrive. Ruby didn't even need to see her bright emerald eyes to recognize her. Of course she recognized her, she was Pyrrha freaking Nikos! She was extremely famous! It was said that due to her great skills and unique -and still unknown- Lunas, she had never lost once, even when she had first started training. For the girl to be there meant that Ozpin's offer had probably interested the Nikos Clan.

The Nikos Clan's story was a pretty confusing one. Normally, all Clans' children could either become Huntborns or accept a normal citizenship and support the Clan in some other way than combat. Never before had happened for a Clan to spawn a Virtuous, as it was known for them to lose their unique powers once their Aura was unlocked, but for some reason Pyrrha Nikos hadn't. She had been born a Virtuous -something that had always been theorized as possible only among civilians- and had retained her power even after her Aura had been unlocked at the young age of six.

The Virtuous were a very special type of people. Aside from being much apter for combat, they possessed a unique perception sense, being able to recognize Nightmares at a mere glance. Only truly powerful Demons could 'hide' their Dusk, their dark Aura, from a Virtuous, and for Pyrrha Nikos to have retained both her combat aptness and her Virtue… it surely made Ruby very envious.

She shook such thoughts from her head. No! It wasn't the moment to be envious of someone who basically owed forty percent of their combat skill and actual power to a mere miracle and unheard-of-before happening! Damn it, put like that it was even worse. She didn't resent the girl, of course, but she couldn't help but feel a little envious. Why hadn't _she_ been given those abilities too? It wasn't fair!

Slowly, the atrium filled up with people, and Ruby found herself sided by Yang once more, who briefly scolded her for running off without warning her, to which she just shrugged sheepishly. Finally, a man walked on the stage. He had messy silvering hair and brown eyes hidden behind small opaque glasses, and wore a dark green suit with a green scarf loosely tied around his neck. He stopped before a microphone, and leaned slightly on his cane, a cane Ruby knew to be his weapon of choice.

"Hello to all of you. I am sure everyone here knows who I am, but let me introduce myself. I am Huntlord Medeis Ozpin of the Ozpin Clan, but for as long as you will stay in this school, I will be your Headmaster and Professor." His eyes swept over the crowd as he took a small pause, scanning the students' expressions. "I must apology for the… quite hard-to-reach position of my school, but as you might know this was once my Clan's very household and as such, was built in a strategic and inexpugnable location."

He seemed to pick up on the crowd's disinterest, because a flash of annoyance passed in his eyes before he cleared his throat. "Now, I see many of you are tired from the long journey, so let me keep this brief," he continued, much to everyone's relief. "With this school we are testing the waters and, hopefully, becoming an example for others to follow. I do know that many of you would've gladly remained at their Clans to train on their own, but I must stress the importance of knowing how to fight alongside who will be your future comrades in the Hunt. As such, I gathered you all here to train you as peers instead of individual students."

"You will remain here until your skills are deemed worthy of the Hunt. Tomorrow you shall be tested in the Emerald Forest during Initiation. Your skills will be evaluated, as will your teamwork, and graded appropriately. You will have to reach a certain grade in order to attend Beacon." Seeing the crowd's interest already beginning to dwindle again, Ozpin sighed. "That is all. Please, Professor Glynda Goodwitch shall accompany you into the ballroom, where you will sleep for tonight. Tomorrow, you will face Initiation. If any of you wants to back down, they can ask me or Ms Goodwitch at any time, and they will be allowed on the train back to Vale with no shame whatsoever. Not being ready to die is not a fault."

His eyes wandered on the crowd once more, but Ruby was sure that when he spoke the next words, he was talking to her, and to her alone, although all the students probably thought that. The headmaster's gaze was piercing, and she found a shiver running down her spine as he spoke with a cold, emotionless voice that told nothing but the truth.

"Because, mark my words, the Hunt _will_ kill you."

 ** _Well, cheers Ozpin... Seriously, you could've just avoided the whole "you're all going to die" thing. It's true but hey, EVERYONE is gonna die. No one has invented the Elixir of Immortality yet. Time is the greatest killer of them all._**

 ** _So... well, here it is. As you can see I tried to keep this chapter around as long as An Extension of the Soul's chapters. That's my new goal. Writing longer chapters._**

 ** _Up next should be Last Rook of JNPR, that is currently second in the poll. I basically wrote this and Last Rook at the same time, jumping from a Libreoffice file to the other._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	2. A Nightmarish Initiation

**_And here we are, Demonic Redemption's second chapter. Hope you enjoy, and don't miss the AN at the end, or you won't understand why some characters are different._**

"It's like a biiiig slumber party!" exclaimed Yang, throwing herself on the sleeping bag the teachers had given her. "We can ogle boys, chat a little, ogle some more boys, have boys ogle us, kick some overbold butts, and all around have a great time! Don't you agree, lil' sis?"

"I'm pretty sure Mum wouldn't approve of those types, she always said that who tries to win over hearts with body is too lacking in the heart department to use their charm," replied Ruby, continuing to write her letter while vaguely pointing in the general direction of a few boys who were wrestling bare-chested for everyone to see. She wasn't the only one not to be interested, like that girl sitting against the wall, reading a book, who also appeared to have cat ears on her head. A Faunus, so.

Yang scoffed. "Really sis, heart. Who cares about heart? We're not here to hook up, who cares if they are jerks? They've got nice guns and they're showing them off. Heck, _I_ am surely showing off more than I strictly need to," she said, gesturing to her quite fitting pyjama, consisting of a yellow sleeveless shirt two sizes too small for her that left her stomach bare, and a pair of black short shorts, those too a size or two too small. "And no underwear," she added. "Come on, I know body is not all that matters, but sometimes it's fun to show off and to enjoy a good show. I'm not here to find the love of my life."

"Still, I don't like to 'enjoy the show' as you put it," shrugged Ruby, returning to her letter while absent-mindedly touching her necklace. Like usual, it seemed to beat in time with her own heart. At times it was unsettling, at times it was soothing. The girl was dressed in her usual pyjamas, a simple black shirt and white pants with rose petals patterns. "I'm super nervous for Initiation, ogling boys has never been my favourite hobby and gosh I can't believe Initiation is tomorrow. Have I already mentioned I'm nervous about Initiation?"

"Nah, just a dozen or so other times," winked Yang, still looking at the boys. "Seriously though, there's nothing to worry about, you-"

 _"Hello students, as you might remember I am Professor Ozpin. Your Initiation will begin shortly. First task of the day is to get ready in fifteen minutes. Being a Hunter means being able to react to alert with incredible speed, and as such you will need to reach the statue in the courtyard within the time limit. You will be graded. Zero points if you take fifteen minutes. Minus one point for each minute over fifteen, and plus one point for each minute under fifteen. I do suggest you snatch something to eat in the cafeteria, though, as facing a battle with an empty stomach is never good. Initiation starts now."_

"-Holy hell Ruby run!" Yang changed her sentence mid-speech, jumping up and abandoning the sleeping bag. Ruby chuckled and used her Speed Luna to bypass the other students. Damn, Pyrrha Nikos and Weiss Schnee were both ahead of her, they had probably a speed-based Luna as well. Ruby dashed into the changing rooms, quickly ripping off her pyjamas and pushing on her usual gear. All the students did so, without as much of a glance to each other's bodies. Those were the ways of a Hunter, hormones couldn't interfere. Well… not while on a mission. Not everyone had her focus, though.

She grabbed Crescent Rose and dropped by the cafeteria to grab a few cookies and a glass of milk – a glass she then left near the entrance as she didn't have time to bring it back. She wasn't the only one, even though she had the creeping suspicion they were gonna be forced to clean up after themselves once Initiation was over. Hellbent on making it to the statue before Pyrrha Nikos, she ran as fast as she could, using both her Lunas Speed and Rose at short intervals. She was pretty sure exhausting her Mana was gonna cost her points in her grading.

She was the first to arrive, although both Pyrrha Nikos and Weiss Schnee were basically right behind her. Heh, Rose was a unique Luna, after all. She smiled at Huntlord Ozpin and at the woman beside him, Goodwitch if she remembered correctly. The two of them smiled back. "Ruby Rose, Rose Family, Vale Clan. Exceptional timing," remarked Ozpin, checking his Scroll. "Only seven minutes, and you didn't exhaust your Mana. In addition, since you are the first, you get an extra point. Currently, you have nine points, a very good starting position if I have to be honest."

He then turned to the other two girls who had almost caught up to them. "Pyrrha Nikos, Nikos Family, Mistral Clan. Weiss Schnee, Schnee Family, Atlas Clan. Excellent. You both took only eight minutes, one more than Ms Rose, and as such you get seven points each. However, Ms Schnee, it appears you have used more than fifty percent of your Mana." Ozpin checked his Scroll to be sure, and Ruby smirked victoriously. Of course she had, running in heeled boots was not good for speed. Plus, heels were tricky traps, or so Ruby thought. "As such I am afraid I will have to decrease your score by two. Still, five is a more than respectable grade for the first task of the day… or night."

Ruby raised a hand. "Uhm… Professor? And why exactly are we doing this during the night?"

Ozpin smiled enigmatically. "To keep it short, because I want to see how you can work with lack of sleep and low energies. And because we all know that nighttime is when the Demons are stronger. Only an Eclipse could make them stronger. They will be more aggressive, more cunning, but most of all this will _ensure_ you will need to work in teams in order to pass Initiation. However, I would highly prefer if I could avoid to repeat myself. As such, any more questions will have to wait until everyone is here."

Ruby nodded and suppressed a sigh when she noticed Yang still wasn't among the arriving ones. True, speed had never been her half-sister's forte, but still…

She arrived a few painstakingly long minutes later. She only got one or two points, Ruby wasn't really listening, but at least she had managed to arrive within fifteen minutes. Not everyone was so lucky.

Once everyone had arrived, Ozpin spoke up again. "Very well. Good evening, applicants. As you can see, we do not play by the rules. Tomorrow you shall rest, but tonight Initiation takes place. I apologize for the discomfort this might cause amongst you." Beside her, Yang grumbled something about her hair. "However you must learn the importance of being always ready. Demons will not set up an appointment before attacking a settlement. Now, if you will, follow me to the Beacon Cliffs while I explain how the rest of Initiation is going to play out."

The man didn't seem to be in a hurry, as his steps were slow and measured while he walked away. The woman beside him followed immediately after, and the would-be students trailed after the duo as the man continued to speak. "We chose to hold Initiation at night for a few reasons. One, to test your resistance to lack of sleep, and to see how you operate with low energies. Two, we all know Demons are stronger at night, and so you will have to expect nocturnal attacks to settlement. Grimm rarely attack during the day, unless they are fed by enormous amounts of negativity." Ozpin paused for a second in order to take a sip from his mug of coffee. "Now, do you have any question?"

No one spoke up, and the group made its way to the cliffs in silence.

The view from there was spectacular, or would've been spectacular had she been able to see it. It was dark, and the fractured moon didn't cast its light very far in the forest below them. A couple of small airships were hovering near the edge. One was piloted by a portly man with grey hair and large moustaches, dressed with a Bordeaux suit, while the other was a tall and lanky green-haired man with an unkempt shirt and an askew tie. They were waiting for Initiation to begin, obviously. The students gathered before Headmaster Ozpin as the man continued his speech.

"Tonight you will be evaluated and appropriately graded in the Emerald Forest. Since Hunters have often to be dropped out by moving Bullheads, we will fly you into the forest before dropping you into it. You will have to plan a landing strategy on the fly… quite literally. Failure to do so won't result in death, thankfully, but it will cost you two points." Ozpin drained the rest of his coffee and moved closer to one of the airships, although he still did not board it. "Your goal is to reach thirty points. Allow me to explain how you can lose or gain said points before we depart."

"You can lose points in very few ways. Poor teamwork won't make you lose points, but attacking an ally will, even if unintentionally. For each attack brought, three points lost. As well, failure to group up will make you lose one point, although that will be taken away at the end of Initiation. You have three hours to complete it." The woman, Goodwitch, moved toward the other airship. "Gaining points will be easier. You can find up to three teammates, and you will get one point for each teammate. Any more won't give you points. Killing Grimm will give you points as well. Beowolves, Creeps and Boarbatusks will give you no points. Alpha Beowolves, Ursai, Ursai Major, King Tajitsus, Deathstalkers, Giant Nevermores, or any other powerful Grimm will give you points depending on how strong the opponent was. I shall not disclose how many points each will give you, as you have to decide whether to risk fighting a strong one or to try and take down several medium ones. And now, please, onboard."

The two Professor jumped on the ships first, since they were hovering near the edge. Ozpin chose the one with the large man, while Goodwitch the one with the green-haired guy. The students split between the two, and Ruby gripped Yang's arm tight enough to bruise it, not wanting to let go of her. Other people bumped into them as they jumped onboard, but once inside they were comfortable enough. Not really but enough. Ruby couldn't tell just by having her face pressed into a pair of breasts, but she was pretty sure the fleshy orbs belonged to the Faunus girl she had seen earlier in the ballroom, the one with the book. Oh well, her breasts were still less smothering than Yang's, so she could ignore the discomfort for the time being. Sure, her embarrassment was soul-crushing, but struggling to get out of the booby trap would've been even more embarrassing, as it would've probably gotten the attention of the owner of said booby trap.

"Ehm… could you please step back?"

Crap. Booby trap owner had caught her. "Mmmppphhhht!" She struggled to force her head back as she realized that speaking into someone's breasts was just gonna tickle them, and she managed to free herself from the fleshy prison. "Sorry about that, hehe, the crowd was pushing me around… Hehe…" She cleared her throat sheepishly. "So… I'm Ruby Rose, what's your name?"

The girl stared at her for a few seconds before she sighed. "Blake Belladonna."

Ruby went wide-eyed. "Oh my god I'm so sorry I didn't mean to disrespect you, your Highness!" she cried out, fearing the worst. What was the _Princess of Menagerie_ doing there?! Oh god she had face-planted into the Princess's breasts! Menagerie was gonna declare war on her! "I… I'll just leave now!"

Without waiting for her response, Ruby harshly elbowed her way back to her sister, all the while wailing on how horrible the first impressions with her new classmates were turning out to be. However, before she could reach the blonde, her already troubled day got even worse.

"Please students, now you will be dropped in the Emerald Forest. Choose your teammates and stick with them. Remember the points. If you die, the only thing we Professors will do will be burying you once Initiation's over." With his usual lack of tact and emotion, Ozpin gestured for the pilot to open the Bullhead's door. One by one the students jumped out, and Ruby was left last on the airships, looking quite out of place there. With a chuckle, Ozpin pushed her out of the airship. "Your second task of the day has started. You have three hours. You will receive a Scroll notification in case you reach the score of thirty. Good luck," he added in the microphone of his Scroll, knowing that all students were getting the message.

As she fell through the air, Ruby was inwardly screaming against the Headmaster. Thankfully she had quick reflexes, so she was going to be able to land withou-

 _Bang_.

"Heya lil' sis!"

Yang. Ruby inwardly sighed as the busty blonde appeared seemingly out of nowhere and caught her in mid-air. The two of them landed on a tree branch, that promptly couldn't take the strain and dropped them on the head of a white-haired girl.

"Ouch…" groaned Yang as she pulled herself up. "Jeez, stupid twigs, they break like nothing…"

"Uhh… Yang? You're sitting on someone," Ruby helpfully pointed out, looking at the white-haired girl, who was no less than Weiss Schnee. In one day she had managed to piss off the Princess of Menagerie, and the Heiress of the Schnees. Surely her day… or night… couldn't get any worse.

"Get off, you idiot!" screeched the girl, immediately proving Ruby wrong. "You're crushing me!"

"Whoopsies…" Yang jumped to her feet and offered Weiss Schnee a hand, but the girl swatted her aside. "Erm… I'm sorry, I hadn't thought the branch was going to break. We didn't mean to land on you."

Weiss Schnee huffed and dusted herself off, glaring at them, before she stopped and looked at Ruby. "You are… Ruby Rose, right? The girl with the Nightmare necklace."

Ruby blushed as she fiddled with said necklace. The jewel still beat in time with her heart, it was a very useful trick when she needed to feel her own heartbeat. "Err… Y-Yeah… Nice to meet you!"

Weiss stared at her for a few long seconds before she offered a hand. "Weiss Schnee, it's a pleasure to meet you. How old are you? You must be very skilled if you've made it to Beacon so young."

Ruby laughed sheepishly. "Ehm… I'm almost sixteen, and really, I'm nothing special…"

"If memory serves me correctly, you were also the first to reach the Beacon statue this evening. You got nine starting points out of it," continued the white-haired girl. "A young prodigy… I'd have to be stupid not to see the obvious advantage in having you on my same team. You, me, Pyrrha and someone else. Maybe your sister. She appears to be well-prepared for combat."

"Hell yeah I am!" cheered Yang, pumping her fists together.

"So, what do you say?" offered Weiss, holding up her hand. "If you accept, we'll just have to find Pyrrha and pass this Initiation, and we will be Beacon's greatest team."

Yang stopped cheering. "Yeah, no. If you want to team up with Nikos, fine, but we're going the other way," she stated, looking irritated. "Perfect Girl can go find someone else to annoy."

Weiss regarded her with a raised eyebrow while Ruby just looked between the two, clearly a bit lost. "Excuse me? I fear I cannot follow your logical process. Pyrrha is the best teammate we could ever wish for, it'd be stupid not to search for her," she replied, quite a bit peeved by Yang's lack of respect.

"Wrong, she's not the best teammate, she's the best fighter. And I've seen how she acted on the airship, and in the school," rebutted the blonde. "She's a damn holier-than-thou kind of girl. She'll probably be better than the rest of our team combined in _everything_ , and her damn attitude will make it weight heavily on us. Plus she's a celebrity, we would be swarmed by media and fans just because she's our teammate. This Initiation was organized so that all skilled students could pass it if they played their cards right. In a way, we don't need to get the ace to win this hand. I say we find someone good to team up with, and get over with this Initiation thing."

 _Bang_.

 _Bang_.

The three of them were surprised by the two gunshots, obviously coming from different directions. "A rifle and a handgun," stated Ruby, surprising Weiss. "The handgun is closer, though, let's check if they need help. They could be our last teammate!"

Yang chuckled at seeing Ruby's enthusiasm. "Yeah, let's. Plus Nikos uses a rifle so we can't go wrong with the handgun." She turned to look at Weiss from over her shoulder. "You coming or not? Besides, if we met up so quickly, I'm pretty sure Team Nikos is already full. People must've tried to swarm her in mid-air."

Weiss sighed and ran after the two. "I'm coming with you, but only because your statement is unfortunately true. I was pushed aside by some crazy girl shouting 'Rennie' or something, otherwise I wouldn't have even landed here." She drew her weapon, a short rapier with a multi-Dust rotating chamber, and followed them.

It didn't take them long to find their target. The girl was standing in the middle of a clearing, her breath just slightly laboured, with a quickly dissolving Ursa before her. Ruby whimpered when she recognized her. The cat Faunus from the airship, the Princess of Menagerie, Her Highness Blake Belladonna.

Of course, Yang ignored her whimper and strode toward the girl. "Heya there! Nice job on that!"

"Thanks."

"Nice ears, they look… cute!" continued the blonde, basically dragging both her 'teammates' with her. "Name's Yang, and this is my little sister Ruby, as well as our new companion Weiss."

The girl's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Schnee, but she replied nonetheless. "Blake Belladonna."

Yang stopped for a second before her grin returned. "Princess, huh? Why are you here in Beacon, then, instead of training with the family? Not like you can't afford personal trainers, either…"

Blake sighed. "I may be the daughter of the ex-ruler of Menagerie, but now our kingdom is ruled by a Council just like the others. That title means nothing now." She weighted her second answer for a moment before continuing. "As for why I'm here, I want to fight for Faunus and Human Equality. And I'll admit I was intrigued by Huntlord Ozpin's new project, something such as this is unheard of before. So I decided to go to this apparently race-mixed school to show I _am_ ready to work with humans."

"Isn't your father also the former ruler of the White Fang?" asked Weiss, stiff as a plank.

Blake pondered her answer for a bit longer this time. "Yes and no. Yes, he was ruler of the real White Fang. But not of the White Fang as you know it." Before they could protest, she pulled out a Scroll and showed it to them. There were two images on the screen, one the white head of a sleeping wolf in a circle, the other the red head of a snarling wolf crossed by three claw marks. "The first is the actual White Fang. The name was born from a wordplay with 'white flag'. It was a way to say that the Faunus wanted peace, but weren't willing to surrender their rights do obtain it. It's a legalized and official organization of the Menagerie government. The second…"

Blake sighed and shook her head. "The second is a branch that split off on its own. It's still an 'official' organization, but they've gotten violent. Their protests and boycotts are dangerous, and more than a person has been hurt. They know they are on a thin line, because they know that killing someone is just gonna make the Hunters come down on them like hawks on a prey, so they play it subtler. We call them the War Fang, but most people wouldn't be able to tell. And then there is the Blood Fang…"

"The terrorists," completed Weiss with an edge in her voice.

"Yes, exactly. They are always masked and no one really knows who they are. For all I know even you could be Blood Fang disguised as humans. And while White Fang and War Fang both actually accept humans in their ranks as long as they share the same goal, the Blood Fang is a racist organization that has split off from the War Fang a few years ago." Blake noticed Weiss's tension and bowed slightly. "You are a Schnee, I can understand your hatred toward the Blood Fang. Just please, do not judge all Faunus on the actions of a few."

Weiss stared hard at her before she sighed. "I won't. I imagine you must've heard of my family's reputation. I promise you, I shall try to keep an open mind. I know you must hold resentment against me for my family's actions against the Faunus, so I guess we are even."

Blake nodded slowly before turning to Yang and Ruby. "So I guess we've teamed up?"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Ruby, immediately exiting her puzzled state. All those fangs were confusing her. "Let's see if we can find some Grimm. I'd suggest we avoid Beowolves, slaying a pack just to get points for the Alpha sounds like a waste of time…"

"Except for Yang, all of us appear to be speedsters more than heavy-hitters, so I suggest we do not search for tough Grimm, or we might not be able to pierce its hide," added Weiss just before Ruby took out Crescent Rose.

"I'm both! I'm super fast, but Crescent Rose hits almost as hard as Yang!" she gushed enthusiastically while Weiss and Blake were taken aback by the giant instrument of death so casually swung over Ruby's shoulder. "Err… I mean, let's go and let's not worry about heavy hitting!"

"Coming here I saw some tracks. It was probably a small herd of Ursai, I suggest we check it out," offered Blake.

"Where did it went?" Blake pointed in the direction of the other gunshot, and Yang darkened. "Yeah, no thanks. That way is probably Miss Perfect."

Blake cocked an eyebrow, but she let go of the subject. "Well, I haven't heard any sound of combat coming from North, we could see if there are still some Grimm we can kill before other students arrive."

"Good thinking! Let's go!" exclaimed Ruby dashing East. Yang grabbed her and re-directed her to face North. "Err… Thanks! Let's go!"

The blonde chuckled at her little sister's expenses as the four of them headed North. They didn't really face any resistance, and the small Grimm were mainly avoided thanks to Blake's finer senses so to avoid wasting time. In less than an hour they reached the ruins of an old temple, large columns and bridges above a huge, deep abyss as dark as the night. On the other end of the chasm, they could see a large herd of Ursai prowling around, at least two of which were Majors. Looking at her teammates, Ruby waved them closer to tell them of her plan.

Honestly, it was pure genius.

Once everyone had taken their positions, the plan was ready. Yang was at the end of a weak bridge, Weiss near the end of another, and Blake perched atop a dome, behind an askew pillar. Ruby checked their positions once more before she dashed forwards and shot one of the Majors in the face. The bullet bounced off the armoured mask, but it was enough to gain its attention. Instead of running, she then shot the other Major, angering it as well, before using her Rose Luna to turn into rose petals and fly over the chasm, appearing beside Weiss.

"You sure you can do this?"

"I didn't see you asking Yang or Blake that," Weiss replied stiffly, watching as the herd charged them. She waited until the last second, when the first Ursa was just a dozen yards from her, before using her Ice Luna to create large icicles above the bridge, letting them fall. The bridge predictably fell into the abyss alongside a good part of the Ursa herd. Just as predictably, the remaining members tried to find a way to get to the two girls.

"Yang, Blake! Your turn!"

The two girls nodded. Yang waited until the Ursai were also upon her before unloading a dozen or so shotgun shells in the already damaged structure, bringing down the bridge just like Weiss had collapsed her own. Blake instead allowed a few Ursai to pass before pushing the damaged pillar onto the bridge, bringing down with it a few Ursai and another Major.

"Okay girls, only a few remaining, and no Major. Let's hope Professor Ozpin will count the fallen ones among the killed Grimm…" Ruby readied her scythe, and she was acutely aware of the adrenaline running through her body. It was her first time fighting a pack of big Grimm. Sure, she had fought Beowolves and some Ursai, but this was another thing altogether. Her heart was beating like mad, and the necklace repeated it against her chest. It was unsettling, but she had gotten used to it.

"Weiss, I take on the Major, you take care of the two beside it. Yang! Blake! Kill the rest!"

Weiss immediately shot forwards with another of her Lunas – her many Lunas. Ruby had no time for envy as she too darted toward the battle. The Ursa Major tried to hit her with a mighty but slow swing, but she flicked her scythe against the offending arm, causing the beast to roar in pain. Taking the chance, Ruby crouched on the blade and fired a shot downwards, propelling herself higher. With another shot, this time upwards, she brought down the scythe on the thing's neck, but the armour protected it.

Still, she had cracked the plate. A quick glance told her that Weiss had thrown one of the two Ursai in the abyss with yet another Luna – she was going to run out of Mana soon, if she kept that up. Yang was punching her way through two Ursai, her usual, while Blake took on the last one with graceful movements.

The quick glance was enough for the Ursa to attack again, and this time she found herself stepping back. Correction, Ursai could be fast when they wanted to, and that one wanted to. Jumping over a third attack, she used the recoil of her gun to jump behind the monster and slashed at its legs, hoping for it to fall in the abyss. It didn't, although it did stumble near the edge. _'Come on, you_ _ **could**_ _just fall back in the chasm…'_ she asked silently.

The Ursa did not reply. Her necklace sped up together with her heart. Damn, she'd have to kill it by herself. Ursai Majors were not impossible to kill, but those damn things were _tough_. And she was on her own. _'If only I had someone with me… the others are busy, and Weiss's run out of Mana. Can't someone come and help me?'_

Her only response was the necklace beating even faster against her skin. It was distracting her. Darting away from the Major, she brought a hand up to take it out of her shirt and place it over her jacket, so for it to at least not be in contact with her skin. As soon as she touched it, however, she heard a crack. Looking down, she saw the jewel.

Broken.

That made her freeze. The necklace was a gift from the mother. It had a story. She had had it all her life. Heck, if what Summer said was true she had receiving at birth. Seeing it broken… how had it broken, anyway? She hadn't applied any pres-

A swirling black smoke exploded from the jewel, and she screamed in surprised, holding it away from her. The smoke twirled and spiralled until it condensed in… a boy with blond hair, and blue eyes.

Looking at her, then at her necklace, and then back at her, he merely waved. "Lovely night, isn't it?"

 ** _And here he is. A Nightmare right in the middle of Initiation._**

 ** _Now, onto the questions- Huh? No, Pyrrha is not a damn holier-than-thou, but you'll see that she is skilled in everything, and perfect people annoy everyone, trust me. Her kindness will be mistaken for pity, her manners for haughtiness, and so on. She's not a bad person, but she is indeed a very particular individual. For example she has Virtuous powers while also being a Huntress, she has perfect grades and perfect fight scores. You'll see what I mean later on._**

 ** _Now, what are Virtuous? Well, in this world of nightmares, people have evolved. Some civilians have the special power to perceive Demons nearby, and they are overall better at fighting. Unlocking Aura erases these Virtuous powers, and no Clan had ever spawned a Virtuous before. It is believed that both parents must not have unlocked Aura for it to happen, and even then it's very rare even among civilians. So Pyrrha has these powers, a miracle, and she kept them even with her Aura, another miracle. A different take-on of her destiny thing, some stuff for later._**

 ** _Now, the clans. Clan is merely the family. The actual Clan, as stated by Ozpin, is the kingdom. There are five Clans (Vale, Atlas, Mistral, Vacuo, Menagerie), but every family has a different name._**

 ** _Moving on, the White Fang. Blake's father did not just allow Sienna Khan to bring everyone to war. The War Fang is the canon White Fang, and the Blood Fang is the canon Adam's Fang. Here, the White Fang is a government organization. Also, Blake's a damn princess, in canon no one recognizes her, here it'll be different._**

 ** _Furthermore, if she really is a princess and daughter of blahblahblah she shouldn't wear her bow in this world. And Weiss is not the bitch she is in canon. The two of them don't like each other, but they are not going to tear each other's throats out any second._**

 ** _Furthermore, canon ridiculizes all power scaling. Messed it up. Here, Ruby by herself has a bit of a hard time killing an Ursa Major. Its hide and armour are tough and mere recoil or 'just let the weight of the blade do the damage' isn't gonna work. You need to put real strength in the blows, and Ruby... how can I say this... has no strength to speak of? Here, if they had encountered the Nevermore, they would've probably lost. Canon makes fun of power scaling, I don't. I'm not saying I don't enjoy the fights in canon, but it makes it next to impossible to understand whether a fight should've been hard or not._**

 ** _Moving on, Weiss actually sees Ruby's age as proof she's very skilled, and she wants her as teammate. That's probably gonna change once she sees Ruby's attitude, but by what she knows, Ruby is a good choice. Yang is with the packaged deal._**

 ** _Yang does not hate Pyrrha. She has the disrespect many people have when talking about someone they don't know nor like. I'm still debating whether to have Pyrrha in the circle of friends or not, being perfect really makes it hard on friends. And Yang is right, Pyrrha should be swarmed by fans and media... while in canon we NEVER see any of that. Whoopsie, RT forgot about the world-wide celebrity they had in the cast?_**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	3. No More Nameless

_**And here I'm back with Demonic Redemption. I am technically posting this on Christmas's Eve on my side, so in case I don't post anything else until after the holidays, Merry Christmas everyone! And Merry Dustmas as well!**_

 _ **Anyway, the first part of this chapter will seem random, chaotic and nonsense. It's because it's Jaune's POV, and he kind of has his mind scrambled from exiting the jewel. Also, this entire chapter is basically the reactions to his appearance, so yeah, not boring but long, lol. XD**_

 _ **As you can see I modified the coverart of this story, turning it into Jaune's weapon, Désespoir (Despair in French). This is the link to the larger image:**_

 ** _ht tps (slash slash) w ww (d0t) deviantart (d0t)c om/ khorevis/art/Desespoir-777738342_**

 ** _And now, onto the chapter! And I hate FFN for not keeping my links..._**

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

The Nightmare would've sighed to himself, had he possessed a mouth.

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

 _"A rifle and a handgun. The handgun is closer, though, let's check if they need help. They could be our last teammate!"_

 _"Yeah, let's. Plus Nikos uses a rifle so we can't go wrong with the handgun. You coming or not? Besides, if we met up so quickly, I'm pretty sure Team Nikos is already full. People must've tried to swarm her in mid-air."_

 _"I'm coming with you, but only because your statement is unfortunately true. I was pushed aside by some crazy girl shouting 'Rennie' or something, otherwise I wouldn't have even landed here."_

The Nightmare sighed to himself, or at least tried to. The Bearer was excited, although he detected a small hint of fear, and a great deal of nervousness. Oh Oum, just let it all die down, so that he could wallow in his own nothingness and self-pity and-

No. He had to stay positive, or he'd go insane. Well… more insane.

 _Thump thump thump. Thump thump._

 _"Weiss, I take on the Major, you take care of the two beside it. Yang! Blake! Kill the rest!"_

Ugh, and now she was fighting again. The Nightmare hated when she fought. Her heart would beat like a war drum and she would make all kinds of childish war cries. Even worse when the Bearer's mother encouraged her, he couldn't stand those. If only the woman had taught her to shout out coherent words and sentences instead of just 'Yaaaaaah' or 'Whatzaaa' and 'Kyyaaaaay'. The second was especially the target of his hatred, he couldn't stand to hear a battle cry that sounded so much like a 'what's up?'.

 _Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump._

The Bearer was now scared. Or something along those lines. The Nightmare tried once again to sigh as he peered into the outside world.

'Holy fuck that's a big Grimm!' he would've exclaimed, had he possessed a mouth. 'Why the hell did she have to go and bother that Ursa? Oh, right, Initiation. Stupid Initiation. Stupid school. Stupid Ozpin. Stupid Ruby-no wait, Bearer. Stupid everything. Stupid _me_ for being stuck in here.'

 _ **'If only I had someone with me… the others are busy, and Weiss's run out of Mana. Can't someone come and help me?'**_

 _'Nope, no can do,'_ thought the Nightmare. _'I have to stare at the void, then polish my inexistent nails, have a bath in my inexistent bathroom, and most of all I'm too busy hating everything at the moment. Seriously, why didn't you say that sooner?! Here I come!'_

The Nightmare then _pushed_. It was the only way it could possibly be described as. He pushed against his constraints and broke through the barrier that kept him from the outer world. He heard a sharp crack, and the nothingness around him fled. Hadn't he been bored out of his mind, he would've known how stupid his action actually was.

He felt the cool air brush against his skin, and as he opened his eyes -he had eyes now- he gazed upon the starlit sky. It was beautiful. So very different from the nothingness of his prison. Why hadn't he fled sooner? He hadn't been able to. Why hadn't he been able to? He didn't know. Maybe… maybe it had something to do with Beacon? No… or maybe yes? Every other time he had tried to _push_ , the barrier would firmly hold, keeping him prisoner.

All in all, human Aura was important to Nightmares. While training, the Bearer hadn't had much prolonged contact with other Aura users. Her mother, sure, her family, but otherwise not many. At Beacon, though, she had been all but _swarmed_ by other Aura users, and so had he. Maybe that had weakened the barrier between him and the outer world. Wait, did that mean that, had he tried to break free earlier, he would've been successful? Damn that was a depressing thought. However, he had other things to think about.

Like the sky. The sky was wonderful. It was pure black, with pinpricks of light, and of course the fractured moon. He really liked that moon, by being fractured it cast even less light on the world. Although he loved Eclipses the most. Those were the times when Mother Darkness, Salem, would cover the world with a veil of black, casting the entire planet in shadows and empowering her children. Oh, he absolutely loved those.

Grinning, the Nightmare tore his eyes from the night sky and looked at the Bearer. Then he looked at the broken jewel in her hand, and then back at the Bearer. Something was definitely off. Like he was forgetting something. Oh, right, the Ursa. Well, while Grimm attacked Nightmares too, they still preferred humans over other Demons. So… maybe he could have the Ursa kill the Bearer? He could've tried by himself, but it was better not to risk anything. So, he settled for a distraction. "Lovely night, isn't it?" he offered with a wave. The girl continued to stare at him… for like half a second before she darted away to avoid the oncoming Ursa paw. Damn it, she hadn't fallen for the distraction.

The Nightmare jumped out of the way of the second attack, cursing the Grimm for not being able to tell a human from a humanoid Demon. Grimm could be annoying like that. He dodged another attack. _Very_ annoying.

"Do something!" shouted the Bearer.

"Heh, sure, with what weapons? You just broke my sword's pommel," the Nightmare replied, making her look down at the jewel. "Yes, that. Would you _kindly_ give it back?"

The Ursa Major roared again as it stood on its hind legs. The Nightmare pointedly ignored it as he snatched the jewel from the Bearer's hands. "Thank you," he drawled sarcastically, diving behind a pillar for cover. The girl in red and black nervously turned to the now slowly advancing Ursa. The Nightmare quickly used one of the star's points to cut his wrist, and spread his blood on the jewel's fracture. The black, smoky liquid began to steam lightly, but he pressed the two halves together. The jewel glowed black for a second before the fracture disappeared. "Finally," he grumbled. **"Désespoir."**

Black smoke erupted from the jewel, shaping itself in an elongated form, then a pure black greatsword appeared in his right hand as the smoke solidified, and he quickly brought his left hand on the handle. The blade and handle were nightsky black, while the pommel and the guard were both dark blue eight-pointed stars. All in all, blade and hilt, the sword was slightly over five feet long. Slightly shorter than the Bearer, he noted idly.

"Could you please help?!" Speak of the devil, and she shall appear. The Nightmare turned just in time to see the Bearer run under a large paw and score a long cut on the beast's side. "I kind of have a problem!"

The Nightmare considered his options. In his excitement, he had forgotten he was still in Beacon, even though he was in the Emerald Forest. And he had no way of returning inside the jewel now. While letting the girl die was definitely high on his wish list, dying was on top of the wish-not list. Letting her die wouldn't bring hatred on him by itself, but being a Nightmare in that new school for Hunters was a death sentence on its own.

On the other hand, helping her might have two results. Either they believed him to be her servant, or maybe they would wait for a second before outright killing him, if he had helped a student. Sure, spreading chaos and mayhem was fun and all, but he liked living more, so he quickly made his decision.

With a sigh, he grabbed the Bearer and pulled her behind him. "Stay here," he told her. He really didn't need her to butt in the fight. "And stay out of my way, Jailbait."

"J-jail… what?" she asked with a blush, but he wasn't paying her attention any more.

 _'Okay, big Ursa, not so slow, strong, tough… well, at least it can't fly.'_ The Nightmare ducked under yet another swipe and between the monster's legs, slashing its left knee open. The beast's legs buckled and it staggered. He turned to take out the other knee, but a red blur with a scythe in hand appeared and did it for him. "I told you to stay out of it!"

"Why? You could need some help!" she replied as the two of them watched the large Grimm fall down. It used its forelimbs to keep itself from downright falling on its own face, but otherwise it was downed. For the moment.

The Nightmare jumped over its armoured back and ran over to the neck before plunging the sword down into it. "Because I didn't _need_ your help!" he bit back as he jumped off the dying Ursa. "I could've handled this _easily_ , Jailbait. With no need for _you_ to step in!"

"I was just trying to help," replied the girl, looking away before returning to look at him. "And stop calling me that."

The Nightmare shrugged. "No."

"Wha-why?! My name is Ruby, Ruby Rose, not J-Jailbait!" protested the redhead, pouting. The Nightmare was unimpressed. "Why don't you call me by my name?"

"Because a name should represent its owner. And Jailbait represent you. Young, definitely underage, hot as fuck, a real ticket to Hell for many. Especially Grimm," he added as if as an afterthought before he shrugged. "It's not a compliment nor an insult… well, maybe it's an insult… it's just a name."

"You can just call me Ruby!"

"Earn it. That's how it works. You earn a favour from me, you use it to have me call you by your name. Otherwise… Jailbait." He laughed a slightly psychotic laughter, but that was to be expected due to his prolonged imprisonment in that jewel. The Nightmare was sure that his temporary insanity would soon fade and disappear.

"And what about you?" asked Jailbait. "What's your name?"

And just like that, the Nightmare stopped laughing. "I… I…" He blinked and frowned in confusion. "I… don't have a name…"

Jailbait gasped in apparent shock. "What? That's outrageous, how could you not have a name?"

"Names are given, no one ever gave me one," explained the boyish-looking Demon, scratching his cheek. "How could I have a name, giving a name to others is fine but one can't really give a name to himself… Or can he?"

"What?"

"I can give names to others, but can I give a name to myself? Theoretically yes, as I could just use a name that describes me, but could I really choose my own name in a world where names are given by others?" The Nightmare shook his head. "Meh, who knows?"

"But… do you have a name or not?" asked the girl, confused by his own confusion.

"I don't know. How do you know your name is 'Ruby Rose'? Because someone told you it is. So, if no one ever told you that your name is Ruby Rose, you wouldn't know if you had a name or not, Jailbait," he replied, tapping his chin with a finger. "So if no one ever told me what my name was, how could I know my name? So if you ask me what my name is and I tell you I don't know, you shouldn't be surprised."

"Ruby!" The redhead turned just in time to see a blonde, a white-haired and a black-haired approaching them. "Are you… wait, who's that?"

"Another one who asks for a name I don't have!" exclaimed the Nightmare, throwing his hands in the air. "Argh, for the love of Salem can't you people just understand that now is not the time for philosophy?! My brain's kinda scrambled at the moment -fifteen years closed in a jewel will do that to you- and I'm really not in the mood to speculate about my name!"

The blonde looked at the redhead, who just shrugged helplessly. "He helped me kill the Major, and then started acting weird."

"Hey, from _my_ point of view, _you_ are the weird girl who tried to solo an Ursa Major," retorted the Nightmare before looking at the other three. "Oh, you must be Jailbait's new 'team'. Nice work with the Ursai, by the way, much less nice work with the brains but hey, you can't have everything, right?"

The white-haired and the black-haired blinked, but the blonde scowled. "How did you call my sister?!"

"Oooh, yes, you must be her half-sister… I'm gonna call you Tittyfuck, seems fitting. And you are Assfuck, nice booty by the way," continued the Nightmare before turning to the last girl. "And you… you… no tits, no ass, no legs, are you even a female?"

"How dare you- Of course I'm a female!" seethed the human whose gender he still was debating. "My name is-"

"I would go for Stick-Up-The-Ass, but it's too long. Icebitch will have to do." The 'boy' sighed at the wasted nickname. "But seriously, grow some assets or you'll look like a disguised boy. A very skinny one, too."

"Okay, I'm still mad for Ruby's nickname, but that was fun," snorted Tittyfuck, while Icebitch seethed. "Really took the Ice Queen off-guard."

"Pardon me if I disrupt this wonderful conversation," drawled Assfuck. "But we are in the middle of Initiation. We still don't know how many points we have, or if we already reached thirty. We should get going."

"Not before I teach this guy some manners," stated Tittyfuck, cracking her knuckles. "No one insults my sister."

"Yang, please, calm down. He still helped me kill the Ursa Major!" Jailbait moved to stop the taller girl. "Don't kill him!"

"I'm not gonna kill him, Ruby, I'm just gonna teach him manners," smiled the blonde, although her eyes were red, taking a single step forwards. She pushed Jailbait to the side and confronted the Nightmare directly, who just raised an eyebrow at her. Then she winded back for a punch, and landed a haymaker square onto his face, forcing his head back.

He stared at the sky for a few seconds before looking back at her with a huge smile.

"Ah, finally!" exclaimed the Nightmare, snapping his fingers. "My headache's gone. Thank Salem, I couldn't stand it any more. Well, going from a two per two per half inches jewel to the outside world is not a pleasant experience, duly noted. Now… oh, right. You must be the Bearer. And you are… Yang Xiao Long, Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna, if I heard your names right."

Everyone blinked at the sudden change, but the Nightmare shrugged it off. "Yes, I could still hear inside that necklace. It was terribly uncomfortable, though. Thankfully now I'm free." He stretched and was rewarded by a satisfying popping noise from his back. "Damn, it's good to be out here. Salem knows how many times I've tried to escape, but the barrier held firm. Well, now it's gone… probably thanks to all the Aura around, heh."

The four girls continued to stare at him, and Yang's eyes turned back to lilac in pure confusion. "Oh, right. Sorry about earlier, stress-induced temporary insanity," he explained as if talking about the weather. Which was lovely, by the way. No clouds, few stars, broken moon… really a lovely night. "As I said, fifteen years closed in a jewel can do that to your mind."

Blake was the first who blinked the shock out of her system. "W-Wait, you just so casually healed from insanity?" she asked. "And why did you give us nicknames?"

"Oh, well, how can someone explain insanity? But I guess that the nicknames were just for fun. You know, offending people is fun." He shrugged before slapping a hand on his forehead. "My Salem, where are my manners! I must've left them in the jewel. Forgive me. My name is… is…"

"You don't know your own name?" Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, if-"

"If no one ever gives you a name, how can you know what's your name," Ruby completed with a sigh before turning to the others. "Let's just give him a name…"

"I suggest Asshole," offered Yang, obviously still peeved at him for her own nickname. Weiss and Blake didn't look like they were gonna argue, but a cute pout from Ruby had Yang sag and sigh. "Ugh, fine. Let's find a name for Mr Live-In-A-Jewel… wait a second, a jewel?"

"Uhh, yes?" replied Ruby while the Nightmare played with a rock he had picked up. "From my necklace."

There was a second of silence.

"Does that mean he's the Nightmare Mum trapped?" asked Yang, shocked.

"Nope, I was born in that thing, not trapped in there," replied the 'boy'. "Although yeah, I'm a Nightmare, so?"

Weiss and Blake exchanged a glance before the latter spoke up. "Aren't you supposed to… you know… be evil?"

The Nightmare laughed and tossed the rock in the chasm. "Evil ain't stupid, Blakey. What do you think I should do? Attack you four? Or maybe try and siege Beacon itself while I'm at it?" He scoffed and shook his head. "My top priority is self-preservation, thank you."

The four girls continued to stare at him before Weiss pointed her rapier at his throat. "I know I'm supposed to kill you, with you being a Nightmare and all, but this weirdness is getting at me. I feel like I'm putting down an animal rather than a monster. Any last words?"

"Well, I said I'm a Nightmare, but you don't know if I truly am or not, and as such you shouldn't start attacking me," smirked the Demon. "Now-"

"Stay away from them!" exclaimed a voice as a bullet whizzed past the 'boy', who sighed in exasperation. A tall redhead with a bronze round shield and a rifle was running toward them. _'Great,'_ he thought sarcastically. At least the bitch seemed on her own.

The four girls all took steps away as their eyes widened in recognition.

Tall, busty, nice ass, idiotic armour, weird shield, stupid hairstyle, suicidal high heels… eh, he recognized that one. Pyrrha Nikos, the one Ruby was envious of. The one with the Virtuous powers and most probably the strongest Huntress in training to have ever walked Remnant.

Wait a- _fuck_.

His eyes widened as he dove behind a pillar, pointedly ignoring the sound of gunfire. Damn, of all people why did _she_ have to stumble into him?! He felt more than saw Ruby peeked around the pillar, but he didn't really care. He damn needed to get the hell out of there. Stalling four Huntresses in training who seemed more than confused as to what to think of him was easy. Fighting someone who was basically known world-wide because of her strength and combat prowess was idiotic. Which was why he wasn't gonna fight her.

With nay but a thought, his physical form disappeared, turning into withered black rose petals that quickly darted across the chasm and under a solitary dome, regaining humanoid shape. The Nightmare gritted his teeth at the expensive ability, a unique Demonic Luna he had corrupted from the Bearer's own Rose Luna. He barely had any control over it, and the cost in Mana was ridiculous, but at least it allowed him to make the trip over the chasm.

Pyrrha Nikos was probably hellbent on killing him, that much was certain. The question was whether she'd stop to check on the others, or if she'd charge him immediately. In his excitement to be free, he had forgotten that this so-called 'Beacon Academy' was more or less the worst possible place where to materialize. A place full of Hunters in training who wished nothing more than to spill Demonic blood – Grimm and Nightmare alike.

In a way, the humans were to the Demons what the Demons were to the humans. Prey, and predators at the same time. Humans were prey, yet their warriors called themselves Hunters, and where there is a hunter there is also a hunted, a prey. And everyone knew how Demons attacked humanity. No side asked questions, they both just attacked.

The Nightmare sighed. "And I still don't know how the heck I am called…"

/-/

"Are you okay?" asked Pyrrha Nikos, turning to check on them. Yang's eyebrow twitched, but she seemed to contain herself, while Weiss spoke up.

"We are, thank you, but please could you explain why did you attack that man? He did nothing to harm us, and even if he was… less than polite… he actually helped us in the fight."

Pyrrha glanced at the dome where the Nightmare had escaped. "I can sense it, it was a Nightmare. It probably knew it couldn't defeat you four by himself, and thus was trying to talk its way out," she explained. "I heard the gunshots and the noise of combat, so I came to see if you needed any help, and when I got here I sensed the presence of a Demon. That Nightmare. So I shot it, trying to get it away from you." She turned to look at them. "I'm sorry for not warning you beforehand, but-"

"He was not going to attack us!" protested Ruby. "Besides, we could've taken care of him, he didn't look all that dangerous!"

"Thank you!" came the sarcastic comment of the 'boy', from the dome. Pyrrha's eyes narrowed.

"Have you gathered thirty points already?" asked the girl. All four nodded, checking their Scrolls and finding the notification. "Very good, then I suggest we take out that Demon and then go back to Beacon. Initiation is almost over."

"We are _not_ 'taking out' him!" exclaimed the shorter redhead, stomping her foot with a pout. "He helped me, and he was just a bit odd. Besides, shouldn't the Headmaster deal with something like this? I mean, if he's really a Nightmare, then we should tell Ozpin. Initiation was not supposed to go like this!"

Pyrrha thought about it for a few seconds before she pulled out her Scroll and dialled the Headmaster's number. How she had it, Ruby didn't know. "Hello, Professor Ozpin? Oh, Professor Goodwitch, may I speak with Profe- Oh, yes, sure. We have a situation here. I just met up with Ms Rose, Ms Schnee, Ms Belladonna and Ms Xiao Long, at the temple's ruins. And… when I arrived, I found a Nightmare with them. … Yes, yes Professor. It's still nearby, I forced it to run but it decided to hide instead of- What? Oh, okay. Yes ma'am. Thank you, we'll be waiting."

She turned back to the others and smiled weakly. "Ms Goodwitch knew about the Nightmare, but she wanted us to contact her about it. She assigned me five extra points and she told me to wait for her here. You four can go back to Beacon with the Bullhead she'll be arriving in while we take care of the Nightmare."

Yang scoffed and made a disgusted sound before stomping off toward the edge of the chasm. "Hey, What's-Your-Name! Come back here, Nikos ain't gonna kill you! Well, not right now… Anyway, if you come back you'll probably have more chances of getting to talk your way out! If you stay there, they're just gonna make the entire dome crumple!"

"Please, Yang, don't warn it. It's a Demon. Like a Grimm," pleaded Pyrrha, grabbing her arm. "My mother always said that your first Nightmare is the hardest kill you'll ever commit, because you feel like you're killing a person, but after you see their bodies turn into smoke you realize that they are actually just humanoid Grimm. Do not think of it as a person, or it will use your own emotions against you."

"Stop calling him 'it', Miss Perfect," Yang snapped back, pushing her away. The girl didn't fall, and she looked at Yang with a surprised expression. "'Him'. 'Him', not 'it'. And yeah, he might be a Nightmare, but he could've just left Ruby to fight the Ursa Major or even worse killed her himself, but he didn't. I'm not saying I like him or I trust him, I'm saying that he's not a danger right now. Demon or not, he has something called self-preservation." The blonde glared at her. "Plus, you have some guts lecturing me right after you stole _our_ points. We were the ones to find and stop the Nightmare, not you."

"We can talk with Goodwitch about those points," offered Pyrrha. "I'm sure she will understa-"

"Just shut up already," spat Yang, turning and walking away from the slumping champion. "Besides, here they are. A Bullhead is landing."

"Hey guys, he's coming back!" Just as Ruby said that, a burst of wilted rose petals shot from the dome, making Pyrrha tense up and ready her rifle, and re-built the Nightmare a few yards away from them. "Ehm… hey! Lovely night, isn't it?"

Everyone looked at her as if she had just said something odd. But after all, she had just repeated his very first words after he had come out of that jewel, hadn't she? Nevertheless, they seemed to have the desired effect on him. He shrugged with one shoulder, a weak agreement but an agreement nonetheless, as he watched the blonde Professor Goodwitch and the silver-haired Professor Ozpin swiftly approach them from the Bullhead. "It's really lovely. A pity it won't remain like that for long…"

Ruby winced as she glanced at the two oncoming Hunters. "By the way, can I give you a name?"

The Nightmare glanced at her. "A name? Well, sure, why not? I mean, after all it's just a bunch of letters pushed together in a way that is not horrible to hear, so it's not like I have anything against having a name." He stared at the two Hunters, then looked at his greatsword, and sighed. The weapon disappeared in black smoke and dissipated. "Sword or not, I'm probably not getting out of this one alive…"

Ruby cleared her throat as she racked her mind to try and come up with a name. Not something dark or creepy to match his demonic nature, no that would've been bad. No, she needed a nice name that could inspire trust and comfort in people. A name a hero could have, not a villain. She got an idea. "Well, I really like stories and fairytales, and I remember a story my mother used to read me when I was younger… the legend of Joan of Arc. Now, Joan is a female name so it won't fit, but what about… John? No, that can be used by a villain too… Juan? Ugh, that sounds so little Valean. Johann? This sounds Atlasian. What about… Jaune? I mean, in old Valean it means yellow and your hair is yellow… well… golden but still… and it's a nice name. What do you say?"

The Nightmare blinked and considered the name. Jaune… Arc. It wasn't so bad. Kind of too lame by itself but it was just a name. How much could a simple name matter. It wasn't like Ruby would've been a different person, had her mother called her Sapphire instead of Ruby. But it needed an addition. Something to remind himself of his true nature. Jaune Night Arc? Jaune Nuit Arc? Jaune Dark Arc? Jaune Moon Arc? Jaune Luna Arc? …he liked that last one. Yes, he really liked it. He was gonna keep it.

"It's a nice name," he said, giving her a lopsided smirk before it fell. "Although I'm not keen on ending up cooked to death like the original legend did. That'd be kind of unpleasant."

Ruby seemed to wilt. She remembered how she had cried for fifteen minutes straight when her mother had told her the 'true' version of Joan of Arc's tale. In the end she was betrayed, sold to her enemies, and burned at stake with the false accusation of being a Nightmare in disguise. And while the boy before her was indeed a Nightmare, she still hoped he would receive a better fate than being burned to death.

"Jaune. Luna. Arc." Jaune spoke slowly, as if to taste the words. He found out he liked how it sounded. "Jaune Luna Arc… Nice. Even if I'll have it for just a handful of seconds before those two kill me."

 ** _Argh, I am already feeling the heavy burden of explanations now... but I know that if I don't explain, 3/4 of the reviews will be questions about my reasons, and I'd rather explain just once. So!_**

 ** _Not telling how Jaune has Ruby's unique Luna, it will be explained later on._**

 ** _RWBY's reactions. They have never ENCOUNTERED a real Nightmare before. Grimm, yeah, but fighting Nightmares has a deep impact on the emotional state of the Hunters, so they haven't fought any yet. As such, they are taken aback by his oddness. Furthermore, Remnant has movies too, and in movies (and books and media) Nightmares are portrayed as incredibly aggressive monsters in human skin and all. Earth has those exaggerations too. So they... did not expect him to be like that. And they did NOT know for SURE he was a Nightmare until Pyrrha told them (she has Virtuous powers, if you don't know what those are, look at the end AN of previous chapter, thank you). And even then, he actually helped Ruby, even if his 'insanity' made him a little rude. And yes, the oddness and randomness was voluntary on my part._**

 ** _Now, of course Goodwitch and Ozpin knew of him, they were watching in order to give points. However, they wanted to see how the students handled him. And no, next chapter won't be Ozpin killing Jaune and end of the story, don't worry._**

 ** _Aaaand Pyrrha. Oh, sorry if RWBY didn't get much interaction but they are quite literally shocked into silence right now. Anyway, what was I writing? Oh, yes, Pyrrha. She is not evil. She just considers Jaune... basically, a Grimm. She killed Nightmares already so she doesn't even hesitate. She knew he was a Nightmare, considered him a threat, and attacked. Besides, she even stopped when they asked her to, so she's not an aggressive brute. I'm just writing her like she should've been in canon: a damn FIGHTER! Not a f***ing teenager with shyness problems who couldn't hurt a fly even if she tried! She was hands-down BRUTAL in her fight with CRDL in Ep5, V2, Extracurricular. BRUTAL. One would think she had some real steam to vent off. And yet I always see her being written as the nicest person to have ever walked Remnant. Now, I like when she's written like that... I'm just taking a different route in this story (if you notice, in my other stories she IS impossibly nice). Oh, also, she's alone because she quite literally fled from her fans._**

 ** _So yeah, Pyrrha is an actual figher and not just someone overly nice with a spear and a shield that fight on their own. She's not a golem with no feelings, she just thinks in a different way from canon. She is a renowned tournament fighter, guys. You do not fight to win and remain like you are. I've seen some ways people use to excuse her combat prowess without excluding her kindness - like Coeur Al'Aran's choice of making her very VERY competitive. Or at least in White Sheep and Service with a Smile he did, I haven't read his others stories except for Professor Arc and I currently don't remember how he portrayed her as. What I'm saying is... there must be a reason why Pyrrha could've won so many fights. One does not do that just because 'oh, I'm bored, there's a spear and a shield on the wall, let's train until I am a world-wide celebrity'. An option is that her parents forced her to, but then in Beacon she should've allowed herself to relax and maybe lose some fights to dispel her invincibility (technically, once they are in Beacon they are independent...)._**

 ** _In this story, I changed her character ever so slightly to fit more in her canon behaviour, making her a little similar to someone I knew. He was a very very kind person, with a slightly mean streak, but damn he was COMPETITIVE! In anything! If you were better than him at cooking, he studied and looked up courses on Internet until he could do better, if you were better at singing he would try and try until he was better, and so on. He didn't always manage, of course. And he was not competitive in the "I'm f***ing gonna beat you!" way. He was still friendly even while he was competing. I remember when he noticed how I was better than him at making paper airplanes (seriously) and he tried until he could make them faster and better than me... and he never boasted about it. It's just that he couldn't stand being worse than someone else. I think this would fit Pyrrha's character perfectly, so I took this and added a few things. Besides, RT didn't REALLY give us much insight on her character before she was killed off, did they?_**

 ** _Okay, this AN is becoming SOOOOO long, but it's mainly because I have to explain lots and lots of things._**

 ** _EDIT: edit because why not? As pointed out by Mo Eazy in his review of this chapter, Ruby's character in V1-3 looks 13 max. I apologize, my fault for not explaining. She looks more or less like she is in V4-6 in this story. Let me explain. I can get that some girls just don't grow too curvaceous (Weiss remains more or less the same in the transition V3 to V4), but Ruby definitely grew in those... what? 8-10 months? Yeah, more or less. However, RT overlooked a very important detail._**

 ** _Training makes you grow. No, seriously. Combat training increases the body growth, making it reach 'adult shape' earlier. I am almost 17 and I look 7 to 10 years my senior. People have mistaken me for my twin's father or my father's brother. Don't ask me the physics behind this, but combat training makes you grow into adulthood faster, maybe it's a remnant (heh) of humanity's past, a past where people had to grow very fast in order to survive, a past where you reached adulthood at 15, 13 or even 11._**

 ** _So, Ruby shouldn't have changed that much from V3 to V4. I know, I know, different artists, but in-story you can't dismiss that as "oh, err... the artists changed, sorry". So everyone guesses that Ruby had a growth spurt. However, training in combat should've made her grow into adulthood (physically speaking) much earlier. So, in this story, I kept in mind that, and Ruby looks like an actual teenager, not a child. Sorry for not explaining, I posted this chapter at 1 in the morning, and I had to work this morning, plus it's Christmas Eve! So yeah, sorry for the mistake, I'll explain this in the next chapter too just to be clear._**

 ** _Until next time, and Merry Christmas/Dustmas again,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	4. Meetings of Opposites

**_EDIT: I'm sorry, this chapter was a corrupted HTML file. WiFi was and still is shitty. This is the third time I try to type this and Firefox closes on default. So yeah, I'm sorry and I'm pissed. I'm over pissed because I'm also stressed and my job is also being messed up seven ways to hell so yeah this is me being PISSED! Look at previous chapter's EDIT too. This chapter has been deleted and re-updated._**

 ** _Anyway, before we move onto the chapter, I want to say sorry to all the ones who PM'd me. I am currently writing this in an OpenOffice Document because I don't have WiFi. Tomorrow I will update this from the library. Long story short, I will be without WiFi for… probably a week or so. And given how I must help the family, I cannot be at the library 24/7. So yeah… for a week, expect me to be mostly absent. Good news, I don't need WiFi to write, so I will start DarkerShade immediately. I know you are all waiting for that cliffhanger to be solved, hehe. Wink. (EDIT: it wasn't solved...)_**  
 ** _And now, enjoy this chapter! Oh, also, thanks to LordHellPhoenix, who helped me with Jaune's outfit._**

Huntlord Medeis Ozpin sighed as he watched the student's kill count on his Scroll. Over fifty killed Grimm, most of which were Ursai. Pyrrha Nikos was definitely living up to her fame, having gathered over forty-five points in the first hour, all by herself. Instead of sending her a notification that she'd reached her goal, he waited. He had slightly underestimated the girl. Better to see what she could do and give her more time. Besides, he wasn't the only one monitoring the students, so he could allow himself to focus on one student.

"Nathan Garnet has been killed by an Ursa Major," Peter Port spoke up from his left. Each Hunter sighed at the thought of yet another life lost to the Demons. "His two companions are battling it as we speak. I do think they will win."

"It appears that Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna are about to reach the temple's ruins. They have yet to encounter any Grimm," Glynda Goodwitch stated from behind the others, frowning at her Scroll. "They are avoiding all the worthless ones, but they are going straight into a pack of Ursai, with two Majors. I hope they will be safe."

"Ren Lie and Nora Valkyrie have slain an Ursa Major. However, both of them are still far below their objective, as they are stopping to battle any weak Grimm like Beowolves as well as the valuable ones," Bartholomew Oobleck said from Ozpin's right, the words fired from his mouth like bullets from a mini gun. "The boy seems low on Aura, but she still has half of it."

Ozpin nodded absent-mindedly as he watched Pyrrha Nikos impale yet another Ursai Major with her spear. Such level of precision, strength, agility, endurance and skill was unheard of in someone of her age. She would make for an incredible Huntress, in time. "Any Nightmare sighting?"

For a few seconds, nobody spoke. Then, a fifth person snorted and shook their heads. "Oz, you can't be serious. We might be expecting Nightmares, but not _this_ early," said the man with messy black hair and faded red eyes. "Not under everyone's eyes."

"Ah, but what would bring more terror to the people: this school falling and being destroyed from within, or an army of Demons overrunning it before it could even open?" Ozpin asked to the group. "The first would show that there's always hope. The second, that Demons will never allow us to resist them."

"Nightmares don't use armies," the man pointed out, drinking from a flask he kept at his hip. A huge, folded sword rested on his back, the handle sticking out from his right side. "And if they wanted to overrun us, they would've gone after every Clan, individually, person by person. That's proof that Nightmares fight each other just as much as they fight us. They would never follow someone's lead. Oz, this is basic Nightmare knowledge."

"But sometimes, striking at the basics can result in victory." Ozpin closed Pyrrha Nikos's profile and turned to the others. "After all, we are expecting an army, and we are _hoping_ for Nightmares to try and destroy this school, aren't we?"

"I still think you're insane," retorted the man. "This is too much of a risk. Also, we're risking our students' lives as well as our own!"

"Sacrifices must be made. If we want to only count how many deaths this will take, then we will never do anything. But if we look at what we could achieve…" Ozpin trailed off, looking into the distance. "No more Nightmares, Qrow. That's what we are striving for. And a drastic reduction in the Grimm population. We lose Hunters to the Demons every day. Wouldn't a few lives now be more than enough if the reward is so great?"

"Except that we aren't talking about _your_ nieces' lives, but _mine_ ," the man called Qrow shot back. The three other Hunters kept their thoughts to themselves as they continued to watch the students. Goodwitch began to assign points to the four girls for their clever plan. "We argue about this everyday, and everyday you put your foot down with your usual 'it's for the greater good'. And what if this fails? It might very well fail. You're relying entirely on Summer's word, going against what Remnant has believed for _millennia_."

"I trust Summer," Ozpin simply replied. "If using this whole setup as bait works, I'll be proven right. If it doesn't… well, this school _is_ a good idea, even if we didn't mean for it to really work."

"I trust her too, Oz. I'd trust her with my life, with my nieces' lives, with _everything_. But she's still a person, and as a person she can be mistaken. When history itself goes against her, why do you still believe her?" Qrow sighed as his flask ran dry. "She might've been tricked and lied to, Oz. She trust people too much."

"But she is one of the best Huntresses of our generation, Qrow, and she has dealt with Nightmares many times." Ozpin didn't mind Goodwitch's suddenly stiff posture, but he did look over her shoulder to see what was happening. "And I trust-"

He cut himself off as he took in the scene on the Scroll. The new blond had appeared out of nowhere. No, that wasn't exact, he had appeared from Ruby's necklace. The one Summer had trapped a Nightmare's Dusk in. As he continued to watch, the newcomer ran from the Grimm and hid behind a pillar, repairing the jewel. Then he summoned a greatsword, and fought the Ursa Major. Even though Ozpin was already sure of his true nature, he could've just been a student whose Lunas were shadow-related.

However, Pyrrha Nikos's timely arrival confirmed his guess. The redhead warrior forced the Demon to flee, and stopped to check upon the students. Oobleck had already a Bullhead ready and close at hand, hovering just off the edge of the cliffs. The champion seemed to briefly speak with the other girls before she called his Scroll. Offering it to Glynda, the two of them boarded the Bullhead, with Ozpin piloting it.

"Qrow, Peter, Bart, you three stay here and monitor the students. Qrow, I know you aren't a 'professor' here, but please do help them. We will handle this," Ozpin called out, throwing Glynda's Scroll at him before the hatch closed. The man called Qrow scoffed as if disgusted, but he did snatch the device, and he swiped it to look after some blond boy fighting a Boarbatusk.

Back inside the Bullhead, Goodwitch closed the call and reached Ozpin in the piloting cabin. "Good news, it's a Nightmare and it apparently is not showing any sign of aggressiveness. Do you think…?"

"I don't know what to think, Glynda. Honestly, I _hope_ so. Despite what I told Qrow, I _am_ surprised by the presence of a Nightmare so early on," was the Huntlord's tense reply as the man forced the Bullhead to speed up. "If Summer _really_ trapped Dusk in that jewel, there is a chance that our whole setup was useless, after all."

"And you think that a random Nightmare is the one we're searching for?" she asked, highly sceptical.

Ozpin shook his head as the Bullhead dived and landed in a hurry. "Quite the opposite, Glynda. Using a highly powerful Nightmare would've been my first choice," he told her as the two of them leapt out of the hovering aircraft and landed on the grassy terrain not far from the ruins. "And this Nightmare is an unknown variable. Again, a possible problem. However, the Nightmare's unfitness for our project might exactly be what we need."

"That doesn't make any sense!" protested the woman, keeping an eye on the golden-haired individual, that was talking with the girls. Or rather, with young Ruby Rose.

"I have two main reasons. One, if the Nightmare thinks we are desperate, it might try to strike a better deal for itself. If instead it understands we deem it unfit, _it_ might be the desperate one. And two, it'd be easier to control a weaker Nightmare, rather than a very powerful one," explained the silver-haired man as the two approached the group of six. "Glynda, you forget the only reason we made this a school was to attract Nightmares. If we weren't ready to use them, why try at all?"

"I thought you wouldn't have chosen the first to stumble by," seethed the Huntress.

"Why not? We are capturing monsters, Glynda, not recruiting people. It doesn't really matter which one we choose, only how we handle it. Now silent, we are about to enter their hearing range." The woman nodded in acknowledgement as the two of them crossed a dangerously damaged bridge across a deep chasm.

Ozpin took a moment to observe the Nightmare. Its hair seemed to be made out of real gold, and not just blond, something that hinted at its inhuman nature, and its eyes seemed sapphires. Both shared the coldness of metal and stone instead of the warmth of a person. Its skin was as pale as porcelain – yet another cold object rather than living being. Maybe Summer was wrong after all?

Its clothes didn't bring any more reassurance to the Huntlord, as they were so Nightmare-cliché he felt like chuckling. It wore a pair of mid-calf-high combat boots of studded black leather, with the studs being silver, with straps criss-crossing their whole length from just below the knee down to the ankle. Its pants were adherent enough to make the girls slightly uncomfortable, and they were -unsurprisingly- as black as the rest of its clothing, and more silver-studded straps with no apparent use were fastened around its legs. Ozpin silently thanked his keen eyes for allowing him to see so well even during the night. The Nightmare also wore three belts, all black and with several pouches and small knives attached to them. Due to the long, flowing black cloak it wore -a cloak he was sure could be wrapped around its whole frame if needed-, Ozpin had to wait until they were almost face-to-face to see what it was wearing on the upper half of its body.

As it turned out when he reached the group, the Nightmare was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt with a high collar that covered almost all its neck, and whose sleeves continued on the back of its hands and fastened to its middle finger, leaving the wrist, the palm and part of the back of its hand free of clothing: on the strip of cloth connecting the sleeves and the middle fingers sat two small metal plates with small silver spikes on them. Over the shirt it wore a black, sleeveless vest, with a small, silver eight-pointed star sparkling where a human's heart would be. A silver, flame-like pattern was weaved on the lower hem of the vest and around the hem of the hood, as well as over its forearms. Ozpin couldn't tell whether the silver was real metal or silver-coloured thread. To complete the image, the Nightmare wore a silver chain necklace around its neck, and hanging from said necklace there was a small dark blue eight-pointed star – what Ozpin knew was its weapon's pommel, previously worn by Ms Rose.

Ozpin frowned. That Nightmare… it was _too_ inhuman. All Nightmares were almost undistinguishable from human, but the one before him looked almost… fake. Its hair looked like curved wires of gold, as fine as it was, its eyes looked cut out of sapphire, and its skin seemed made of ivory. Its whole appearance just looked _wrong_ , as if the world itself recoiled from it, and at the same time it felt more natural than a human, something that confused Ozpin to no end.

Chasing his doubts away from his mind, the man stopped just shy of five feet from the Demon, who didn't seem to acknowledge his presence in any way. It was repeating three words in a loop, three words Ozpin guessed were his name. Jaune Luna Arc. Not the most original name he'd ever encountered in a Nightmare, nor the most flamboyant, nor the most dramatic, nor the most mysterious, nor the 'coolest' as teenagers would say, but normal names were the best names for Nightmares.

Noticing his gaze resting upon it, the Nightmare chuckled dryly. "Let me guess: I look weird."

Ozpin didn't deign it of an answer, instead allowing Glynda to analyse him as well. However, Yang Xiao Long decided to speak up instead. "Yeah, now that you pointed it out, you _do_ look inhuman. You look like a bunch of unliving material dumped together and shaped like a human." She reached out to touch its hand, making Ozpin, Glynda and Pyrrha Nikos tense up. However, the blonde immediately snatched her hand away from its skin. "Holy shit, you're freaking cold! How's that even possible?!"

The Nightmare opened its mouth to reply, but Goodwitch beat it to it. "Ms Xiao Long, Nightmares -as all Demons- do not have blood like we do. They are made of pure, coagulated darkness. As such, they can shape themselves into human forms, and they can even push their darkness to create something similar to a human's organism, and even heat. However, this particular Nightmare has apparently shown no interest in appearing human. Otherwise, it would be undistinguishable from a human – unless you have Virtuous skills like Ms Nikos, of course."

Xiao Long's eye twitched. "Call him 'he' for Oum's sake! I get he's not a real person but he looks like one and acts like one! Do we call criminals 'it' just because they are criminals?!"

Ozpin held up a hand to stop Goodwitch's retort. "My apologies, Ms Xiao Long. For us Hunters, it is quite hard to refer to Nightmares as people, but for your sake, we shall try. However, do keep in mind that criminals are still human, while Nightmares aren't. They can act like people, but their core nature is just inhuman." Turning to face Nikos, he continued as if the interruption hadn't happened at all. "Ms Nikos, you are the one who made the call. Can you tell us how this has happened?"

"I am here, you know? You could just ask me…" Ozpin, Goodwitch and Nikos all pointedly ignored the Nightmare's grumble.

"There is not much to tell, sir. I arrived just in time to chase it… _him_ away, interrupting a possible fight between i-him and them. Then I called you, and Ruby managed to calm it… _him_ down enough to drop its aggressiveness. I… He returned just about when you arrived, sir," Nikos calmly reported, although Ozpin noted how her hands were gripping her weapon.

Sighing, he nodded and turned to Rose, Schnee, Belladonna, and Xiao Long.

/-/

It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

Ruby Rose had never given much thought to how Nightmares were treated. To her, they had always just been Grimm in human form. Jaune was different, though. For once, he was… there wasn't really a specific word in her dictionary to describe him. He was nice enough, at times, rude at others and weird at yet others. He seemed fairly calm, but his sarcasm was at odd with his relaxed expression. And of course there was the lack of the aggressiveness for which Nightmare were so famous.

But for all his quirks, his weirdness, and his quite uncaring personality, Jaune still wasn't an object.

It wasn't fair… no, it was more than that, it wasn't _right_ to treat him like an object. To refuse to call him 'he' because of something as stupid as race. _'At least now they are trying,'_ she grumbled in her mind. Then she yelped when she noticed that Huntlord Ozpin had been staring at her for… probably quite some time now. "Y-Yes?"

"Ms Rose, I would just like to have your input in the matter," the man smiled ever-so-slightly, still completely ignoring Jaune. "How did this happen?"

"Well…" If she remembered right, Jaune had exited from the jewel… _when she had asked for help_. So he could hear her thoughts from within the necklace, or at least she supposed he could. Realizing she had been spacing out again, she shelved the idea for later, and awkwardly cleared her throat. "H-He helped me fight the Ursa Major. He was a little… dizzy… from exiting my necklace so he acted a little weird for a bit, but then he was polite. Then she rushed in, threatened him and chased him off. When he came back, since he told us he didn't have a name, I gave him one. And that's all… I think?"

Ozpin nodded and moved his gaze over to Weiss, leaving Ruby to sigh in relief. A quick glance at Jaune told her that he didn't seem at all concerned by how the meeting was going, and she winced when she realized why: the Nightmare had probably just resigned to his imminent demise. Without thinking, she poked his arm to gain his attention, idly noting that it was like poking clothed stone, and cleared her throat again. _Sorry_ , she mouthed him.

That seemed to amuse him. He waved her apology off with a little smirk as Ozpin moved to Blake. "Meh, I kinda asked for this. I shouldn't have chosen the worst possible place to break out of that prison."

"We can agree on that," Ms Goodwitch snorted with disdain. "But it is also fortunate that you did… at least for us."

"Wow, so considerate of you. Basically 'sucks to be you', in an even shittier way," he remarked with his usual sarcasm. "Really, Demons might be monsters, but at least we don't lie to ourselves and pretend to be nice people."

"You should watch your tongue, as sharp as it is, if you have any semblance of self-preservation," the woman snapped frostily, levelling him with a glare that would've broken stones. As it was, Jaune didn't even seem to notice. Or maybe he was trying to rile her up further. Ruby thought about it. Definitely the latter.

"Now, now, now. I am sure this meeting would go smoother if we at least attempted to be civil," Ozpin amiably cut in, uprooting the argument before it could even begin. "Because as I see it, this meeting _should_ be civil."

There was a warning undertone in his voice, and everyone within earshot instinctively tensed up. It was a subtle thing, but it was definitely there. Even Jaune lost his careless expression, replaced by a very slight, curious frown.

"As you can all see, we have yet to take any initiative to remove this Demon – Jaune, if I am not mistaken. As such, it should be clear to all of you that we are not here to eliminate him – not immediately, at least." Six nods from the students and the Nightmare assured him that he had gotten his message across. "Now, Jaune Luna Arc – may I call you Mr Arc? Thank you. Mr Arc, may we hear your own version of the tale?"

Jaune's shoulders did not relax, but he did force himself to speak. "Well, you know, I was just having tea in my apartment when all the Aura around corroded and destroyed my walls. So I stumbled in the outside world, and immediately a stupid Grimm tried to attack me. So I killed it. Then, since I really wasn't too keen on having a one-on-four fight with them, I tried to talk my way out of it. Then the bitch arrived." He pointed at Pyrrha, who frowned at him and brought her weapon just a little higher. "Yeah, you. Anyway, the bitch arrived and started shooting at me. I, as any being with a brain would've done, fled and hid. Then Ruby called me back and told me you were coming here. She gave me a name, and then you arrived. Oh, and have I mentioned that Yang doesn't like the bitch, too?"

Ozpin raised a single eyebrow at the tale, but it fit with the others'. "Very well. Now, I have witnessed the whole event via cameras, but I wanted to hear your versions. Mr Arc, I have a question for you." Jaune gave him the go-ahead, and Ozpin nodded. "If I were to spare you, would you work for me? Let me explain. You currently have two choices. Choice number one, you fight all of us. Certain death, I'm afraid. Choice number two, you give us a reason not to kill you, by making yourself useful."

Ruby frowned. That sounded more like forcing him into serving Ozpin than anything else. Sure, Jaune was a Nightmare, but still… "Isn't that a bit extreme, sir?"

Ozpin slowly shook his head. "Not in the slightest. Among my powers there is thought reading, and I can assure you that Mr Arc wouldn't think twice about backstabbing any of you if it granted him freedom." Ruby looked at Jaune in shock, but he just shrugged, passively confirming the man's statement. Ruby felt her trust in the 'boy' creak. "Although Mr Arc also seem to be somewhat reluctant to hurt you, Ms Rose."

Under the man's gaze, Jaune shrugged once more. "She's my Bearer, my Weaver, and my Forger," he simply said, as if that explained everything that needed to be explained.

A quick glance around told her that she hadn't been the only one to miss the explanation, but thankfully Ozpin seemed to take pity of them. "Nightmares are born in a very specific way, students. Huntborns usually study this at the very end of their training. For one of their kind to be born, Aura must be used. When Aura and Darkness mix, Dusk is created. We still do not know how can this happen. The owner of said Aura is the newborn Nightmare's 'Forger'. Newborn Nightmares are immediately adult, but they know nothing of the world. As such, they attach themselves to a person and subtly steal Aura from them while studying the world. This person is called 'Bearer', and they are not aware of the presence of the parasite. Finally, when it believes to have learned enough about the world, a Nightmare has to choose a name. However, if anyone else gives it a name before it can choose on its own, that person becomes the Nightmare's 'Weaver'." Ruby and the others looked confused, while Pyrrha seemed to be already aware of the knowledge. Jaune was just amused. "However, it has never been recorded of a Nightmare that hesitated to hurt its Forger, Weaver or Bearer. If anything, Nightmares seem eager to eliminate those people."

"I'm extraordinary, I know." Jaune's voice was dripping with unrestrained amusement and sarcasm. Then he turned serious, and Ruby realized she didn't really like when he was serious. His already inhuman expression turned even more wrong. Normally, people's faces couldn't stay completely still for long, but he had not such issue. No muscle moved in his face, and his eyes didn't blink as they darkened slightly. "But returning to your very generous offer, what kind of work would that be?"

Ozpin adjusted his glasses and offered a very small smile. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you here. However, as proof of my willingness to go through this meeting civilly, I will allow you a day to think about it. You shall remain in Beacon under strict surveillance, and after the time has gone you will have to have found an answer." Ozpin offered his hand to the Nightmare, something Ruby was pretty sure should've been recorded in the history books. "These five students will be forbidden to mention your nature, although I do ask you to modify your aspect to a more human appearance, or all our care will be for nothing. Once we are in my castle, behind closed doors, we shall discuss your work more in depth."

Jaune shrugged and his form blurred for a second. When the blur settled, Ruby and the others breathed a sigh of relief, and it seemed that Remnant as a whole did. His appearance was now completely human, if one didn't notice the still dark look in his eyes. His hair was still a golden yellow, but now it was more similar to Yang's colour, and his eyes were like river water rather than dark sapphires. His skin too had taken a slightly rosier tone, and when Ruby grazed his hand, she could feel a low warmth coming from it.

Then he took the man's hand in a gentle but firm hold. "Being killed tomorrow is still better than being killed on the spot," he commented sarcastically, but Ruby didn't need any mind-reading Luna to see that he was intrigued. Very, very intrigued.

/-/

Ozpin regarded all the students before him with a heavy expression. There were nine less than the ones he had dropped off the Bullheads. Two had died to Beowolves, one had been killed by an Ursa Major, and six by a Deathstalker. Checking his records once again, he pushed back a wince at just how many hadn't been able to pass the Initiation. Well, he had to get started.

"Greetings to you all. As you can see, there are nine less of you this morning. So, before the ceremony, I ask a minute of silence for those who met their demise in the Emerald Forest." A big guy in armour scoffed silently, but a single scathing glare from Goodwitch froze him on the spot. A little more than a minute of silence later, Ozpin continued to speak. "Now, of the twenty-eight applicants, only nineteen have survived Initiation, and… much fewer have actually passed it."

Ozpin looked at the teenagers. "Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Regina Fynn, Russel Thrush, Mia Cyan, Lie Ren, Sky Lark, Nora Valkyrie. None of you has reached the thirty points you needed. Some of you lost too much time fighting Grimm that did not give you points. Others simply failed to defeat enough Grimm. You are unfortunately denied access to Beacon." As expected, protests and complaints rose from the applicants, but Ozpin silenced everyone with a single tap of his cane against the floor. "Vernal Branwen. You have reached exactly thirty points. However, due to your unwillingness to team up, we must detract a point from your score, like I informed you back at the cliffs. As such, I am sorry to inform you that you failed Initiation as well."

The girl's eyes darkened and she stomped hard, clearly not liking the news. However, Goodwitch's glare was keeping her from throwing a fit right then and there.

Sighing, Ozpin continued, "Weiss Schnee, Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna, Jaune Arc, and Yang Xiao Long have all gathered around forty points, and as such they are welcomed in Beacon." Looking at the last student, he allowed himself a small smile. "Pyrrha Nikos, you managed to reach the impressive score of eighty points all by yourself. We are happy to have you among our students."

Pyrrha nodded slightly, while Yang just scoffed at her score.

Ozpin sighed. _'Hopefully, they will manage to solve their issues.'_ "You will all sleep within our premise, but tomorrow those of you who failed the entrance exam will be accompanied back to Vale. Goodnight, and enjoy your stay."

 ** _What? I never said how many people there were. In a world where most Hunters are trained by their families, not many would've accepted going to a school like that. And yes, Beacon is so gonna face the consequences of letting nine applicants die during Initiation._**  
 ** _Ren and Nora aren't weak, they just hold a grudge against the Grimm, and killed the Grimm that didn't give them points._**  
 ** _Also, Vernal, go choke on a dick._**  
 ** _Anyway, to explain something that people have been confused about: Yang and Ruby are step-sisters and act like in canon. Summer and Taiyang are divorced but they were married when Ruby was born, like Tai was married to Raven when Yang was born. Once Tai refused to allow Raven to take away their daughter to grow in her tribe, she left him. Summer and Tai were married for years, but eventually they fell out of love and divorced. They are still best friends, though._**  
 ** _The 'deal' between families I mentioned in the first chapter is just another way this world call marriage. It's complicated because the two family don't always merge into one, so it's a real deal._**  
 ** _And wow, Jaune at first didn't even look human. Also, more weird names, hehe. ^^_**  
 ** _And yes, I know, I'm cruel for not telling you what will be the whole plot of this story. I'm evil and I'm proud to be evil. Who wouldn't, after all?_**  
 ** _Again, this week (maybe longer) I will be mostly offline, so don't be offended if I don't reply for quite a while. I do not do it on purpose. Likewise, chapters might not be updated as soon as they're ready like usual._**  
 ** _Next chapter: The Offer (maybe I will change the title, hehe)_**  
 ** _Until next time,_**  
 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**

 ** _PS: did I already say I hate bad WiFi? Because I really do. I really really do._**


	5. The Offer

**_And here I am back! Yes, I wrote 7 chapters while I was offline. Twice Demonic Redemption, twice DarkerShade, twice Extension, and a Deltora Quest oneshot (which I will publish soon). What can I say? When I am bored and unable to chat, I write. ^^_**

 ** _Anyway, this chapter basically contains the plot of the whole story, lol. Hope it's good and not rushed. Initially, this would've contained the start of the mission too, but then it got too long..._**

"So, Oz, how deep are you in shit?"

Ozpin sighed as the man -Qrow Branwen- addressed him with the same question for the third time in the last eight minutes. The two of them were in Ozpin's meeting room, discussing about the events of the day. Glynda had been left to take care of some paperwork that needed to be done. Not for the first time, Ozpin regretted not having swapped roles with her. At least he wouldn't have had to suffer Qrow's continuous pestering.

"Legally speaking, this school cannot continue. We lack the funds, and due to the deaths of those students tonight I'm afraid we might even face a trial… a trial we would lose, if I may add." Ozpin rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes and glanced at the other Hunter. "But it worked. We might have our Nightmare."

"I've seen that one. I mean, seriously Oz? That guy couldn't find its boots while it's wearing them." Qrow drank deeply from his flask and burped. "And it's got a few screws loose, let me tell you. Damn, it didn't even care to look human when it appeared!"

"And that's exactly why it's a possible candidate," Ozpin replied tiredly. "We might pressure it into accepting by making it believe we are not desperate, and then we would assign Ms Nikos to guard it and ensure it honours the deal."

"For Oum's sake, Oz, your deal is literally 'you can die in a few months after you've done our work or you can die right here and now', do you really think you can get his loyalty like that?" The Hunter scoffed in disgust. "You can't trust a Nightmare even when you offer it a good deal, it's insane to trust a Nightmare forced into a job by the threat of death!"

"We do not need it to be willing. We only need it to take and carry the items until the ritual has been done, and then we can get rid of it," the older man explained for what it felt to him the hundredth time, and maybe it really was. "Think of it as a pack mule, if you wish. We only need it to take and carry those items. I have no love for Nightmares either, Qrow, you should know that very well."

"Yeah, sorry…" Qrow sighed and shook his head. "It's just… all this is insane. You turn your household into a school you're not planning to use, just to lure Nightmares to you, let nine people die in the Emerald Forest because you stated you would not intervene, and then you snatch up the first Nightmare you see without even thinking about it. How is this even going to work?"

"Qrow, we _are_ desperate," Ozpin stressed the word. "Our civilization might not survive another century if we don't do something."

"The Grimm cannot get so much stronger in so little time," protested the Hunter.

"It's not the Grimm, nor Nightmares. They are like they've always been. It's the people, _our_ people. They have grown complacent. There are more and more Huntborns who use their powers on other people or for sport instead of fighting for the salvation of humanity. After centuries of stability, the people are forgetting how it is to be on the brink of invasion from the forces of Darkness." Ozpin stood up and walked to the window of his office, looking down at the building where the new 'students' were housed. "Soon the only reason people will train will be to abuse of their powers and rule over others. Far from the immediate danger of the Grimm, they don't realize just how in peril we still are. And to a situation such as this, there are only two solutions. One, is to allow the people to see how in danger they really are. To purposefully let the Grimm make their lives harder, and to claim we need more manpower to defend humanity. But that would only be a temporarily solution. The second is something I discovered only recently, and part of it is based on Summer's belief that not all Nightmares are evil. And it involves magic."

"Magic like Lunas and Aura or magic-magic?" asked Qrow.

"The latter, I fear. For a few years now, there's been the rumour that magical sites have begun to reappear in Remnant, and I've recently confirmed that rumour myself. For some reason, magic is coming back to Remnant. But not to the people – to the land itself." Ozpin intertwined his fingers and frowned in worry. "But why would magic return to Remnant only now? Why wasn't it here already? What happened to make it disappear? And… legends, or rather a particular legend, might hold the answers."

Qrow groaned. "Oz, please don't tell me you're talking about the Bleeding World. Please don't tell me we're doing this once again. We've been over this already."

"I'm afraid it might be. Once upon a time, magic _could_ have been present in Remnant. However, mankind's greed and bloodlust turned it into a weapon of mass destruction. Remnant itself bled from the terrible wounds mankind inflicted upon the land, and magic was banished from this universe. From the dark blood of the world the Demons were born, creatures whose only goal was to keep mankind in check, to prevent it from hurting the world even further." Ozpin pursued his lips. "But there is a second part to this legend very few people remember, or care about, one that speaks of how the world would eventually heal, and magic would return. But to prevent mankind from dealing the finishing blow to the planet, the healing would be brought forth by the world's very blood… Demons."

"So basically, this legend portrays humanity as bugs that infect Remnant and should be wiped out?" snorted Qrow. "Well, can't say it's untrue."

"The original legend has been replicated and lost in time, but by cross-checking slightly altered versions I managed to find out how this ritual would take place." Ozpin sighed and unclasped his fingers. "And… how we could twist it to our favour."

"Last time we went against the planet, it didn't end very well," noted Qrow, gesturing with his flask at the Grimm-infested forest and lake. "It's like fleas on a dog. The dog can't get completely rid of them, but they can't kill the dog, not without someone helping either party."

"This is not a situation I want to win by killing the very land we walk and live on, Qrow. The ritual would heal Remnant. And as you know, a healed wound does not bleed." He paused, but the Hunter did not seem to be catching onto what he meant. "Demons are the blood of Remnant. If Remnant stops bleeding, we might free the world of Demons. Forever."

"That's…" Qrow lowered his flask. "Pretty neat."

"It is. It is a dream worth having, or a goal worth fighting for. I had initially dismissed the legend as stuff of fantasy, but as you know legends are ancient tales, and in ancient times stories were told to teach a lesson, not to entertain. And while the lesson of this particular legend is clearly to pursue peace, not violence, we can learn so much more from it." Ozpin closed his eyes. "For example, that Demons are not the mindlessly aggressive monsters we see them as, but the final protectors of a desperate world. No wonder Remnant is called such."

"You think the moon is one of the things humanity destroyed?" asked Qrow.

"I am sure of it. And if mankind wielded a power so great it could destroy our satellite, I fear we might have really _injured_ this world." Opening his eyes again, Ozpin glanced at the clock on his desk. It was still early morning, and the children were probably still asleep. Glancing at his computer, he saw that the Nightmare was apparently asleep as well, locked in his special room. "But if Demons aren't mindlessly aggressive, then Summer might be right. Maybe it _is_ possible to reason with Nightmares. And maybe it is possible to find Nightmares with no interest in bringing evil and chaos to our civilization."

"We've had this exact conversation a few times already, Oz, and every time we stop here." Qrow ran a hand through his messy hair. "If it is possible, then why we have no records of non-evil Nightmares?"

Ozpin sighed deeply. "I… I don't know."

/-/

Ruby Rose was having the strangest of dreams. In her dream, she and Yang were being chased through the Beacon's corridors by an angry Weiss screaming something about them having dropped on her head back in Initiation. Then suddenly Weiss had turned into Blake, who continued to chase them, screaming that Menagerie would declare war on her. Then, after a sharp turn, Ruby and Yang ran into Huntlord Ozpin, Pyrrha and the Nightmare, Jaune. Pyrrha had Jaune at swordpoint while he called them names. The three didn't even blink when the two girls ran past them. But after another turn, Ruby found herself alone, falling from the Bullhead and into Initiation, and the necklace was beating like a war drum against her chest.

Then she awoke with a start. The dream, weird but not scary enough to be called a nightmare, began to fade from her mind, and in just a few seconds she couldn't even recall having dreamed. A small, nagging feeling told her she had, but like every time she had a dream she couldn't then remember, she ignored it.

Glancing around, she noticed she had been the last one up, and that the sun was well into the sky, about halfway to its zenit. Yang, Weiss, Blake and Pyrrha were all already up, given how all the other beds in the shared dorm were empty. Ruby stretched like a cat -no offence, Blake- and slowly got ready for the day. Despite her Semblance and usual personality, Ruby was not one to ruin a nice morning by hurrying through it. She took her time in the shower, and then she got dressed in her usual outfit, although she decided to zip up the jacket. Grabbing Crescent Rose from under her pillow, she placed it on her back and sighed contently.

Ruby Rose was ready to face the day.

She exited the room and skipped down to the cafeteria to get breakfast. Before that, however, she briefly dropped by the entrance to retrieve the empty glass she had left there in a hurry to get to Initiation. After having returned the glass to the cooks -who thanked her with an extra slice of bacon- she quickly made her way over to her sister, who was waiting for her at the table of the admitted students. The group of non-admitted had apparently already left.

"Hey Yang," she greeted cheerfully, sitting down and digging into her breakfast. "How did you sleep?"

"Meh, still a couple of kinks from the rush of tonight, but I'm too awesome to be stopped by something like that," Yang waved her concerns aside, and then stuffed an entire slice of bacon into her mouth. Speaking around it, she continued, "But you have missed your Nightmare being an ass to the others."

"Yang, do not speak with your mouth full," Weiss reproached her. "It's disgusting."

"Sorry Ice Queen." She didn't sound sorry at all. "But seriously, Jaune is _not_ a morning person. Or, well, morning whatever. He was super-cranky this morning. Almost picked a fight with two of them, included my 'sister'." She made a disgusted sound at the word. "Ugh, if the two really got in a fight, I'd cheer the Nightmare on."

"Is your sister that bad?" Blake asked with a raised eyebrow.

"My dad and I think my 'mother' Raven fucked a Nightmare to get such a child. And frankly, at least Nightmares have the excuse of being pure darkness, she's just a horrible bitch that likes to boss others around and is super-irritable. She'd run you through for looking at her for too long, if it were up to her. She believes herself to be the strongest being around, and she likes to walk over people." Yang made another disgusted noise. "Dad says she took Raven's attitude, but none of her self-control or intelligence. The first time I met her, when I was five, she found it fitting to put baby Deathstalkers in my hair. Turns out she captures them and keeps them for pranks until they are too big to be caged any more, and then kills them."

"She sounds like a horrible person, why hasn't she gone to jail yet?" Weiss asked, outraged.

"I'm afraid it's more complex than that, Weiss. Our families have influence and money, so if we were to condemn someone for their crimes, we'd likely win. But most families aren't like that – especially not the civilians' families. And Hunters' matters are handled by the Hunters' Council, that is of course biased for the Hunters." Blake sighed and shook her head. "They call civilians ignorant, claiming they do not know anything about the life of a Hunter, and as such they shouldn't condemn Hunters for what they do. They use milder words and impressive wordplays, of course, but the meaning is that. Let me guess, Yang, the 'Raven' you speak of is Raven Branwen, am I right?"

Yang grumbled and nodded. "Yeah, Dad told me that too. She's very strong and people respect her for her strength. Plus while she's as bad as Vernal, she keeps it under control, and only takes it out on who will not be able to tell anyone. And she's very cunning."

"If she's anything like her daughter, I don't see how cunning she can be," noted Weiss.

"Well, for one I am the result of one of her tricks. She allied her family with mine, then raped my father, then broke the alliance by declaring he had raped her. Since no one ever considers that a woman can commit rape, Dad had to go through lots and lots of trouble." Yang scowled at the table, but then she brightened a little. "That's how he married Summer, actually, she was among the only ones to believe him, as well as Uncle Qrow, Raven's brother, who knew of his sister's tricks. And well, I was born from that rape. Raven dumped me on Dad as soon as I was born. Summer grew me up alongside Ruby."

"That's horrible!" Blake exclaimed. She couldn't imagine living with the knowledge of having been born from such an awful crime. "I'm… I'm sorry for having forced you to remember."

"But why did Raven do that?" asked Weiss, with a far more level head. Her parent's marriage was more or less like legalized rape, after all, so she wasn't completely a stranger to the feeling. "And why didn't she choose to abort?"

Yang shrugged. "Uncle Qrow thinks she just wanted a good lay, and she chose Dad just to spite Mom, because they were dating at the time. And she thought that I, her daughter, would disrupt our family. Frankly, if I were to meet my 'mother', I'd gladly tie her up and leave her to the Grimm. The small ones, like the Skitters, preferably, so it'd take longer."

"Well, she does sound like a horrible person," noted Blake. "She's worse than I thought."

"Trust me, she's probably even worse. She's Vernal, squared," grumbled the blonde. "My father eventually got over the trauma, thanks to Summer, but no one of us ever forgave Raven. Uncle Qrow came to live near us just to stay away from her."

"Bitch Overlord squared? I didn't think it was possible," a new but familiar voice piped up. Jaune Luna Arc settled down away from the others with a breakfast tray of his own. He seemed to be still grumpy. "Sorry for being late. Saw her manhandling a girl with fox ears on their way to the train. Had to make sure she knew what I thought of her."

"I'm sure the damsel thought you were _foxy_ ," joked Yang, but she was met with deadpans from everyone. "Okay, okay, too early for my awesome puns, I got it."

Blake, however, stared at the Nightmare. "And what did you think?"

Jaune shrugged. "Well, I told her that if she was jealous because she wasn't a fox, that she should take it out on the Deathstalker that birthed her. When she got angry, I said I was sorry, and that maybe the Deathstalker was her daddy, not her mommy. Goodbitch stopped us from fighting right then and there."

"You did a good thing, defending that Faunus," noted Blake. "Why did you do that?"

"Oh, I wasn't helping that Faunus. Actually, I was making it worse," Jaune waved her off. "See, I got Bitch Overlord very very angry, and she couldn't take it out on me. So later, when no one will stop her, she'll be even worse. And not just to the foxy, she'll bitch out at everyone. So, I've just done my daily bad deed. Although, to be honest, I'm curious as to why you call them 'Faunus'."

"I should've imagined you wouldn't just do some good without second motives. As for the word, it's because we have animal traits, and 'fauna' means animals," explained Blake, used to explaining that particular matter. "It is not a kind name, but-"

"No no no, I didn't mean why that particular word, why do you call them something at all?" Earning blank looks, Jaune gestured to Blake. "You are a Faunus. Do you feel inhuman?"

"Well… no," replied the girl. "It's natural for me to be a Faunus. But Faunus are different from humans in many ways…"

"Tittyfuck's hair is yellow while Jailbait's is black with red tips. Should they call each other inhuman because they don't have the same hair colour? I get that to use words to describe hair colours is useful, but if you start treating blondes differently from brunettes… well, I really don't know if you can be listed among the intelligent races of Remnant." Jaune took a bite of bacon and then continued with his mouth full. "I mean, I knew humans were stupid, but not _this_ stupid. We just call you 'prey', or 'humans' when we are in a good mood. Animal traits or not! I wonder how you have even survived this long, if you hate each other so much."

"What you saw is called 'racism', and not everyone is a racist. There are people who live with Faunus and vice-versa. Unfortunately, there are also many people who hate the other race for no other reason than racial difference," Blake explained, keeping a hand over Yang's mouth to prevent her from chewing Jaune's head off for calling her and Ruby names. "It is indeed stupid and close-minded, but Nightmares fight each other just as much, if not more."

Jaune raised a single finger. "True, but we don't pretend to be in the right while doing so."

"Humans and Nightmares are different," Weiss interjected firmly. "This is not a discussion anyone can win. Humans, Faunus, Nightmares… they are all races. Some evil, some not. And as all races, they have their flaws. I will not pretend mankind is perfect, and even if I'm tempted to, I will not accuse Nightmares of being the incarnation of evil… just incarnation of darkness. Why don't we finish our breakfast, and start getting ready for school? Our first day will be tomorrow, after all. We should find out what subjects will be covered, and prepare accordingly."

Ruby groaned, and her head hit the table. Taking advantage of that, Jaune quickly stole a slice of her bacon. It tasted even better than his own. Stolen food always did.

/-/

That evening, the new 'student' found himself in Ozpin's office for the first time, alone with the Huntlord and temporary Headmaster. The others were back in their shared dorm, or at least Jaune thought so. He had been summoned up to the Headmaster's office before he could find out. And now he sat there, rigid on his chair, with the Huntlord himself sitting across the desk from him.

"Did you enjoy yourself today?" Ozpin asked politely, breaking the tense silence that permeated the room.

"…" Jaune stared right back. "The food was great."

"I will tell the cooks they impressed you," nodded the man, throwing aside the topic with ease. "As for the reason you are here -and the reason you are alive, I might add-, have you thought about my offer? I do not ask you to have the answer yet, I merely wish if you have thought whether working for a human is acceptable or not."

Jaune shrugged one shoulder, keeping his eyes fixed into the Huntlord's. If Ozpin was uncomfortable with his unblinking gaze, he didn't show it. "Honestly, it really just depends on the offer. Nightmares have no loyalty to other Nightmares unless in some specific occasions. We just have reasons not to kill each other senselessly. A common enemy does make miracles, as you might know since humanity is pretty much in the same boat, but it does not solve all problems. So, I'm not against working for you because of morals or kinship." The Nightmare sighed and broke the staring contest, declaring Ozpin the winner. "What worries me is… well, you. I am not going to mince words. You are a powerful Hunter, but most of all you are smart. Smarter than me, at least. You might trick me as easily as Yang can snap a twig. And despite me really not wanting to die, well… there are worse things than death. A lifetime of servitude and misery is one of those things."

"And that is why I won't ask for your answer until I have told you what you need to do. I know this means nothing to you, but I solemnly swear on Ozma the Holy that this will be your only task. If you succeed and are still alive to tell the tale, you shall be left free." Ozpin brought a hand to his heart as he swore on the Champion of Light, the eternal enemy of Salem, the Mother Darkness. "Not only that, you shall be recorded as the first good Nightmare to have ever walked Remnant. You shall be granted all the rights people have, and any prosecution against you will be severely punished."

"If I survive the job," noted Jaune.

Ozpin nodded and lowered his hand. "Indeed. You might not survive this mission. Do you wish to hear about it, or have you changed your mind already?"

"Let's hear you out. After all," Jaune gave him an ironic, bitter smile, "if I refuse, this tower becomes my coffin."

"While I wouldn't put it like that, I'm afraid you are right on that regard. However, you do still have a choice." Ozpin didn't mention said choice was 'serve or die', but there was no need. Stating it aloud would only worsen the situation, and while Ozpin had nothing to lose from that meeting, he would've preferred the Nightmare to accept willing. "Tell me, Mr Arc, you said you could hear what happened in the outer world just fine while you were… trapped… in that necklace, and I am sure Summer Rose told young Ms Rose many tales and legends. Can you tell me which one is your favourite?"

Jaune stared at him as if he had just grown a Grimm head. When it became clear the question was a legit one, he sighed and shook his head. "I liked Little Red Riding Hood."

Ozpin chuckled. Such an innocent little story.

"The original one."

Not so innocent any more. Ozpin smothered his chuckle and cleared his throat. "I see… Are you familiar with the legend of the Bleeding World?" He nodded. "Care to share your opinion on that story?"

He shrugged. "It's fitting. Humans scream 'monsters' at us, but they never look at what they do themselves. Humans hurt and kill other humans more than any Nightmare could ever hope of doing. I wouldn't be surprised if they created their own doom because they were so arrogant and bloodthirsty that they damaged the planet." Jaune narrowed his eyes. "But how this relates to your offer?"

Ozpin just stared at him.

"You cannot be serious."

"I'm afraid I am, Mr Arc," countered the man, intertwining his fingers. "However, if it makes you feel better, if I am wrong and the legend is false, I will consider your end of the deal over, and you will win."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," retorted the boy. "But go on."

"During my studies, I came across the ending of the legend of the Bleeding World. And this is what regards you." Ozpin cleared his throat and opened his computer. After a quick search through his -many- folders, he finally called up a file and began to read. " _And so from the world's very blood monsters rose, demons tasked to defend the planet from the lust for destruction of humanity. And while the monsters fight, the world will slowly heal. Far from human eyes, life shall find land to grow again, and the world shall be reborn from magic, and its wounds closed. Magic shall return to this world, and the Blood will cure the Body. Four relics of the ancient times will be scattered upon the land, four relics that represent the four Sins the Blood had to accept to defend the land. The Relic of Bloodlust, the Relic of Hatred, the Relic of Chaos, and the Relic of Treason. Once reunited, those four Relics will create the Necklace of Darkness that, through the Ritual of Rebirth, shall heal our world, and cure our land._ "

Ozpin took his eyes off the screen and looked directly at the Nightmare. "My request is simple. Collect the four Relics, and bring them to me, so that I can restore Remnant to what it once was."

"I've got a question for you, though," said Jaune. "Why are you telling this only to me? Why not to the others as well? I mean, this sounds like something Hunters should know of, and while I'm happy Hunters don't know about this, I fear I won't like the reason why you kept it secret."

"I think you will like it more than you think. The reason is merely that Hunters would not believe even me if I were to try and convince them of this." Ozpin sighed. "As for the first question, whether I will tell your new 'friends' will depend entirely on you. If you accept, they will be told. If you refuse… I see no reason in telling them if they can do nothing about it. Anything else?"

"Okay then, let's suppose I accept this being true and not the result of an old man's senile dementia. What's in it for you?" asked Jaune, leaning slightly forwards.

"The Demons are the Blood of the World, Mr Arc. If the wounds stop bleeding, no more Demons will be born," explained the man. Then he held up a hand to stop any protest. "All existing Demons will survive the process. It will only prevent more from forming."

"So, basically, you're asking me to bring my race to extinction?" asked the Nightmare. "All on my own?"

"You won't be alone. We have already decided that Ms Nikos, Ms Rose, Ms Schnee, Ms Belladonna and Ms Xiao Long will come with you, if so they wish. A school cannot have only five students, I'm afraid." Ozpin pushed his glasses up his nose. "But as for the first question… yes. A non-violent extinction, but an extinction nonetheless."

Unexpectedly, Jaune grinned. "You've got yourself a deal."

 ** _Think about it. Nightmares fight each other. They are the incarnation of chaos. So why should Jaune feel bad about leading a genocide? He's just granting himself a few more months of life. And even then, he's planning to flee... whether he'll be successful or not. Saying 'no' would've just gotten Ozpin to kill him on the spot._**

 ** _Also, I do know Raven is not THAT bad. I know. I was very hesitant while writing that part, but eventually I needed to say this. When people think of rape, they usually do not think of a person forcing themselves on another person, but of a male (usually a man) forcing himself on a female (usually a younger girl). That is people's mental image for rape, and that's so close-minded. It was weird for me to write that and it has been weird for you to read it, but it's necessary for us to break down those sexist mental walls our very society has built in our minds. It doesn't matter if you are discriminating males by implying only males commit rape, or females by victimizing them, it's still sexism and that's the problem._**

 ** _And personally, Raven does not seem the person to have any kind of morals._**

 ** _Moving on, the part where Jaune explains about his 'daily bad deed', it's something I've actually thought about a lot. It is not right to let it happen, but it is not right to stop it just to make it worse later. There is no right choice, if you don't want to get personally involved and to keep an eye on both parties._**

 ** _And with this, I'm out! ^^_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	6. Unlikely Allies

Pyrrha Nikos wasn't really sure just how things had managed to change so much in so little time. She had accepted Beacon's invitation to escape from her family and from her fame, to be just another student – albeit she had still been determined to be a good student. She wanted to cut ties with her previous life and be reborn like phoenix from its ashes, ready to live a new life of helping others. That had always been her dream, a dream she had been denied ever since she was a child.

As she walked through the streets of Vale in the mist of early morning, guarding a Nightmare and accompanied by four girls who held no love for her, she could still barely process what had happened back at Beacon.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted and replaced by another one when she caught a glimpse of herself in a shop's glass front.

When people looked at her, they saw many things. They saw her glorious ponytail of flaming red hair, tamed and bound by a bronze tiara. They saw her sparkling jade-green eyes, full of determination and confidence. They saw her daring attire, that left nothing to imagination while at the same time hiding her creamy skin from sight. And they saw Miló and Akoúo, her two trusty weapons, weapons never to be defeated.

Whenever people thought about her and her past, they saw press conferences, glorious spars full of applauses, training she could breeze through where others would struggle, and an image of perfection. They saw light shine over her whole life, making her as unreachable as the sun and the stars themselves. To them, she was on another level altogether. She had statues in her honour back home. Her house was _huge_ , full of trainings fields and sparring rooms.

But when Pyrrha looked in the mirror? She saw long hair so hard to wash, brush and comb every single morning. She saw complex makeup she had to apply at least once a day, and wash off every evening, and eyes full of fake smiles and exhaustion. She saw an uncomfortable outfit she had to wear basically only to turn on her fans, while she would've preferred more comfortable or more defensive outfits or armour, and skin she had to tend to regularly. And she saw her only two friends, her weapons, those who never expected anything from her, but that were still hard to maintain in top shape.

Whenever she thought of her past, Pyrrha couldn't see light. She saw a little girl playing alone in a large garden, with both her parents being always away for work. She saw her uncle, a retired Huntsman, a man full of regret for having been forced into retirement by a grave injury to his leg. She saw that very man starting to teach the girl how to fight as a way to fight his own nostalgia and melancholy. And as she grew older, the training grew harsher too.

She saw days spent training under the pouring rain or the blazing sun, and she remembered the exhaustion that every evening made her pass out on her bed. She remembered the brutal spars her uncle made her do, and how she had lost count of all the bruises she had gotten after the first month. And then, finally, she saw her entrance in Sanctum Academy. But where all other kids were only civilians with a dream, she was already a Huntress in training. She wasn't a Huntborn, but she had skills superior to any Huntborn.

She remembered the first time she had sensed a Nightmare, and the mess that followed. The press, and the government, had been all over her, trying to understand how she could still have Virtuous powers while with Aura. She had been poked at, analysed, and some people even wanted to vivisect her to see if there was something weird with her organs. Eventually, things died down, but the damage had been done.

As Pyrrha looked in the shop's glass front, as she looked at her reflection, she clenched her hands into fists. People knew nothing. She hadn't had any choice but to train. She had not chosen to be so much better than everyone else her age. And most of all, she hadn't asked to fight in tournaments. Pyrrha had always dreamed of helping people against the Demons, not to fight other people for glory, fame and money. But once she had started, it was a loop that dragged her further and further into it. Her own parents had grown so proud of her that they forgot to ask her if that was what she wanted to do, or only what she was good at.

Whenever people looked at Pyrrha, they only saw the results of all her hard work and sacrifices, and nothing else.

Her gaze moved to Yang, walking in front of her and chatting with her sister, Ruby. The Nightmare spoke up from time to time, but it was mainly just looking around at the city. However, for once, Pyrrha's focus was not on the enemy, but on the ally.

Yang Xiao Long. She was the perfect example of what people did when they looked at her. Yang knew nothing of who Pyrrha was, and wasn't even interested in finding out, but she dared to try and judge her. Pyrrha could understand envy. She was envious of their normality, after all. But she did not accept that Yang could just allow her envy to speak for her.

Pyrrha wasn't stupid. She always kept a polite smile on her face, but she was not happy with how rude the blonde brawler had been to her. Pyrrha had done nothing to her, and yet the girl was so antagonistic… the Nightmare didn't help, either.

 _'Jaune Luna Arc,'_ she had to tell herself. While it was still a Nightmare, she could understand that using a name would make it easier for them.

Her gaze moved on the boy-like Demon. Pyrrha knew the only reason it was playing nice with them was to aid itself. Ozpin himself had told them that he would've gladly backstabbed them, had he had the chance, but as usual the words hadn't found a hold in the four girls' minds.

It was a psychological thing, if Pyrrha wasn't wrong. They had never fought a Nightmare before, so they were helpless against psychological manipulation. Their first impression of him had been weird, sure, but also harmless and kinda friendly, so it would take much more than just a few words from someone else to change their minds. First impressions worked like that.

Pyrrha was glad it was being nice to the others. Honestly, she loathed the idea of spending so much time with someone that insulted her constantly, so that was big plus in her books, psychological manipulation or not. He had even stopped insulting Pyrrha herself – even if only because he simply hadn't spoken to her once ever since they left Beacon that morning.

Besides, she was there to guard it, and she had experience with Nightmares' tricks. _'As long as I keep an eye on it,'_ she told herself, _'I'll be able to prevent anything bad from happening.'_

 _'Except, it has already happened,'_ a little wicked voice whispered in her head. _'Look where you are. You went to Beacon to try and find normality, and because of this Nightmare you are now neck-deep in a mission to save humanity. Ozpin was quite clear on the importance of your mission…'_

It was true. Ozpin hadn't minced words when he had told them everything, the day before. The legend, his beliefs, and how it could all be true. How it was most probably all true. Pyrrha had felt compelled to accept after he'd explained the fate of the world might depend on them, depending by how much they failed or succeeded. He had explained that other people could be recruited, but that if they were to completely lose one of the Relics, all would be lost.

It was honestly something that terrified Pyrrha. All her training hadn't prepared her for such a mission.

And then, magic. Pyrrha hadn't been like Ruby or Yang, who had basically been grown with fairy tales, and were thus quite familiar with magic. They had had little problems accepting it to be real. Weiss and Blake had been shocked, but both had hidden it well. Pyrrha too had concealed it fine enough, but that hadn't stopped the shock. Her training had made it clear to her: use the body, use the Aura, use the Lunas. Nothing else existed. There hadn't been much time for fairy tales in her life.

Then Ozpin had dropped the bomb on her, and let her walk off the following morning.

Of course, she had been given a choice. Everyone had. But no one of them could refuse such an offer. They were training to protect the world and help the people – that was exactly what that offer implied. To do what they were supposed to do in the future. They had all accepted for various reasons, but they had all accepted.

The Nightmare hadn't been very pleased to hear he was going to have so many companions, but he hid his displeasure well. Though, not well enough for Ozpin. The old Huntlord had probably hoped for them to accept the offer.

Pyrrha shook her head. "Four Relics and magic… this is just insane."

"Did you say something, Pyrrha?" Blake spoke up, and Pyrrha almost cursed the Faunus's incredible hearing. She had forgotten about the odd race's special traits.

"Nothing worth worrying about," Pyrrha smiled with practised ease, hiding her frustration. "It's just… this whole mission has been a shock for me. All this new knowledge being piled on our minds… I just wonder if letting us set off so early has really been a good idea."

"Of course it has!" exclaimed Ruby, ever the optimistic. "The sooner we start, the better! If we can make the world a better place, then I am ready!"

"Ruby, the world is nowhere as 'fun' as you think it is," Weiss reprimanded her, like she had been doing for the past few hours. "Demons might be the greatest threat, but they are not the only bad thing in our world. Jaune was not wrong when he said humans aren't saints. I seriously doubt the world will ever get a 'happy ever after'. It is just not possible."

"True, but this does not mean we can't try to bring as much as we can," Ruby argued with the innocent logic only she seemed to possess. A logic that was solid, but that was based on a selflessness only Ruby could possess. "We only need to find these four Relics and bring them to Ozpin!"

"Except that we don't know where those Relics are," Blake pointed out.

"That's not true!" exclaimed Yang, joining the conversation. 'Jaune' just listened calmly. "We know where they are… just in a vague way. We know they are one in each continent. Since Vytal and Sanus are connected, they only count as one. So Vytal-Sanus, Mantle, Anima, and Menagerie. We're gonna take Bullheads or something to get from one to the other, so we won't even have to walk. And we kind of know where they are, vaguely."

" _The Menagerian Desert_ is not a very helpful clue," deadpanned the cat Faunus. "I've lived there, remember? It covers two thirds of the entire continent."

"But we can ask around for ancient tales and… stuff!" Ruby countered, still upholding her enthusiasm. "Then we have Atlas' Frozen Wastelands, the jungle between Sanus and Vytal, and the Mistralian wilds."

"All those 'places' cover more than a thousand square miles, Ruby, how are we supposed to find those Relics like that?" Weiss sighed, exasperated. "We cannot just search. We should find information first. I agree with Pyrrha, Ozpin should've given us more time to prepare."

"He actually did," the Nightmare spoke up suddenly, walking with his arms behind his head, as if immensely enjoying himself. "You just refused and took off without any preparation. Well, Ruby took off. You all ran after Ruby, and I'm pretty sure Ozpin would've killed me if I hadn't run after you as well."

Ruby blushed sheepishly at that remark.

"It does not matter, though. The Relics have enormous power, so I'm pretty sure they'll have somehow altered the land around them. Maybe to protect themselves. But that makes our mission easier. There probably aren't many magic spots in the Menagerian Desert." Jaune looked with interest at a toy shop's front. "Nice toys. Very colourful. Anyway, I was saying, we are not searching for some rock lost under the sand. Ozpin reassured us we would recognize a Relic if we saw one. They are particular. So yeah, let's not worry too much… and if you need to worry, you can worry on the train. As sure as Salem I am not going to walk all the way to the Jungle of the Lost."

The Nightmare's words didn't stop Weiss and Ruby from bickering on and on about their mission.

Pyrrha tuned them out again as she continued to walk with the most unlikely allies she'd ever thought she'd have. And once again, she wondered what else fate would decide to send into her life.

/-/

The night had fallen on the edge of the jungle. The dense canopy of branches and leaves was so thick barely any light could pierce it and reach the ground. As the temperature slowly but steadily dropped, hundreds of tiny animals went to sleep, and hundreds of other animals woke up, ready to hunt and live another night. However, those animals weren't the only living beings sleeping at the moment.

Pyrrha Nikos sat rigidly as she gazed into the dark, all her senses alert. They hadn't had trouble on the train, luckily, and she thanked Ozma no Hunter group -thus armed with Virtuous soldiers- had crossed their paths, or the mission would've been over before it even began. The arrival to the small town near the jungle and the following trek to the edge of the trees had been just as uneventful, and so boring even Weiss and Ruby had stopped bickering.

They had of course decided to take guard turns, with Blake taking the middle one due to her nightvision allowing her to see even in complete darkness, and they had gone to sleep, leaving Pyrrha to keep watch. She hadn't had any complaint about that, she always preferred an uninterrupted sleep instead of two shorter naps.

Unfortunately, the Nightmare had apparently decided to stay awake with her. For obvious reasons no one even offered to let it take a guard turn on its own, but that didn't stop Jaune from staying up and bothering her.

"So, you and the others are really close, huh? I think I can count on one hand, and have spares, the number of conversations you've had ever since you met." _Really_ bothering her. The boy-like Demon seemed immune to her stubborn silence as it sat beside her, staring straight into the darkness. "Ironic how I, the incarnation of darkness and bane of humanity, am closer to them than you, another human Huntress. Really makes you think just how _united_ you really are. In just three days, I've come to think that if Nightmares and Grimm disappeared from the world, humanity would just collapse onto itself and murder each other until none remained."

She continued to ignore it. She greatly preferred when it didn't speak with her, or even _at_ her. She wasn't against the idea just because he was a monster – it was mainly because she couldn't stand his attitude. It was the right mix of cocky, annoying, and sarcastic, and it was really vexing.

"And then there is this, your denial. You refuse to even address me as a person. I get I am not human, but I do fit the criteria to be a person. I'm gifted with human intellect, and I look human, plus I can feel emotions just like you do. But you refuse to acknowledge this, and this is making the girls dislike you even more, you know? To them, you're the stuck-up bitch. Even Weiss, the Ice Queen as Yang calls her, is less stuck-up than you are. Are they too lowly for your Highness to speak with them?" The Nightmare grinned when she tensed. During the few times they had 'talked' before, it had found out that was a touchy topic.

"It is not about them," Pyrrha snapped quietly as to not wake up the others. "It is just about you. I rarely speak with them just because there is no need to say anything."

"Ah, but they speak even when there is no need. You don't. Even when Ruby tries to pull you into a conversation in her usual awkward manner, you still stick to short and few words, and flee from the dialogue as soon as you can." Pyrrha couldn't really argue with that. She really wasn't comfortable with the other four girls, but that did not mean she didn't want to be their friends. "But that's not the true reason why you and the others don't like each other. I am that reason, am I right?"

She didn't reply.

"I am. You hate me and they are nice to me. Opposites, really. And you can't get along because you disagree on that issue, that is very important since… well… _I_ am your mission. You are here to guard _me_. So yeah, disagreeing on that might be a bit of a deal." The Nightmare chuckled before his eyes began to shine with malice. "But you know the funny thing? You are seen as the bad guy, or girl, but you are actually right."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, you are." Jaune relaxed as he continued to stare into the darkness, taking his eyes off hers. No sound could be heard in the night, so his words were perfectly clear. "I _am_ a Nightmare, a Demon. I am inherently evil, or at least chaotic and dangerous. What Ozpin said is right, I wouldn't hesitate to backstab them, or you if that's the case, to get my freedom. They are the ones who are mistakenly trusting me just because their first impression of me was friendly, and because I'm acting nice with them."

"So you admit you're pretending?" Pyrrha asked, trying to keep the growl out of her voice.

Jaune shrugged. "Well… not exactly. I mean, I behave normally with them. It's just that betrayal is a ready option. Believe me, being rude only ends with them being unkind to me, so why should I be unkind to them? I have nothing to gain from that." He stretched and yawned widely. "So no, I am not pretending. It's just that they think I'm their loyal friend. I _am_ their friend… just not loyal."

"I don't believe that," Pyrrha stated fiercely, tightening her grip on her weapons. "You are a Nightmare. Nightmares always bring ill."

"That's… not really true. It's way more complex than that. Like, if I can bring chaos while doing something I already have to do, fine, it's fun. But personally I don't like having to go out of my way to do ill." Jaune scratched the back of its head, deep in thought. "I like to do thing wickedly, but other than that, I have no reason to just, I don't know, up and break a random window."

"Then why did you stop Vernal from insulting that Faunus?" asked Pyrrha. "I have been told of your 'reason'."

Jaune grinned like a shark. "Because that is a masterwork. Using cunning and intellect is always satisfying. And that's something worth going out of my way for. For example, even right now I am doing this just to pile stress on your shoulders, so that you will either break or snap, and both benefit me. Satisfaction and personal gain, those are the two reasons why I bring chaos." It scowled suddenly, making Pyrrha tense. "Then there is the natural drive to, if given a choice, do things so for them to bring ill to humans, but that's beside the point. The Drive is present in just a few Nightmares… the others can ignore it."

"Drive? What are you talking about?" Pyrrha tried not to snap, but her voice came very close to a hiss.

"Oh, right. It's something Ozpin found out while looking at the records of Nightmare interrogations. Very few Nightmares stated to be bringing chaos just for the fun of it. Most others brought chaos whenever it was convenient for them, or whenever they could get away with it. The Drive is what those few Nightmares stated to be feeling, an unstoppable drive to destroy and cause harm." Jaune shrugged. "That's the point you humans never seem to get. A Nightmare would not go out of their way just to do some pointless harm. We are still with emotions. The Drive is present in only a few… also humans can have the Drive. You call them terrorists and serial killer, if I'm not wrong."

Its tone became sombre, and its eyes shined less as he stared at the moon. "Nightmares can feel things too," Jaune murmured with a faraway voice, as if having forgotten Pyrrha was even there. "Nightmares are afraid of death. Humans portray us a soldiers of an endless war who are ready to throw their lives away if it means the smallest harm will be brought to humanity, and Grimm might even really be like that, but Nightmares aren't. We feel things. We can be sad, worried, happy, afraid. Ruby's mother once told her something. All Nightmares cry when they know they are about to die."

Pyrrha really wanted to interrupt and ask questions, but she had never seen the Nightmare in such a mood. Quickly checking, she realized there was the new moon. It was as dark as it could get without it being an Eclipse. She knew the moon was very important to Demons, the less luminous the better, but the effect it seemed to be having on Jaune was… appalling. She held her tongue, for the moment.

"You know why?" Jaune asked rhetorically, not really expecting an answer. "It's because our death is far worse than yours. When a human dies, their soul moves onto the Afterlife. But when a Nightmare dies? We are erased from existence, as if we had never existed in the first place." Pyrrha felt her skin crawl. That… that sounded horrible. She almost felt pity for the young Demon in front of her. "We are absorbed back into Mother Darkness, for our Dusk to be used again for new Nightmares and Grimm. We lose all sense of self, and our mind deteriorates back into nothingness, and our bodies turn into Dusk and mix with other darkness, so that the cycle may begin anew. Theoretically speaking, all Nightmares are born from corpses."

"But there may be worse things than non-existence. Why live at all, if one's life has to be filled with misery and pain and fear?" Jaune closed its eyes. "I am fifteen years old. For a Nightmare, this is very rare. Most do not survive a decade in this world. To live, they are forced to mix with the humans, since Grimm attack us as well, but the humans hunt and kill us if they discover our identity. True, we do bring chaos and destruction, but some humans do that as well. I have been fortunate. In the necklace, nothing short of obliterating the jewel would've killed me. No one could've harmed me, and I could still see the outer world, and listen to Ruby's thoughts."

Jaune made a face, and its grave expression vanished. "Ugh, I had to listen to most of Ruby's thoughts. Even when she began to mas- Err… when she had to do her homework." It coughed into its fist and glanced at the mentioned girl, checking if she had heard or was still asleep. "That was close. But anyway, it was lonely, but at least it was a life."

Pyrrha stared at the Nightmare with suspicion. "But why are you telling me all this?" she asked.

Jaune shrugged. "Well, mostly just to put more stress on your shoulders as my daily bad deed," it smirked at her with that infuriating smirk of his. "But not just that. As I said, I have emotions, and your attitude toward me was really starting to piss me off. You behave as if I had forced you into this mission with me, and that couldn't be farther from the truth." It snorted. "I literally had to accept, or be erased from existence. I am not happy to be here, I haven't chosen lightly, and I'd like you to remember that. If you're pissed because you accepted a mission you didn't really want, that's your problem, solve it."

"So, basically, you told me all that about Nightmares… just to eventually say 'don't be mad at me for something I had no choice over'?" Pyrrha asked for confirmation. _'It can't be. It can't be this simple. There has to be a second motive behind this.'_

"More or less. That, and something else." Jaune laid on its back and gave her a two-finger salute as he prepared to go to sleep. "If you start, if not accepting, at least tolerating me, the rift between you and the girls will narrow down a little. Not completely, you have to actively try to do that, but a little bit. The closer you are, the better you fight as a group. Since we are probably going in what are Remnant's most extreme and dangerous locations, the better we all fight, the better chances we have of surviving. So, long story short, the better chances _I_ have of surviving. Remember: I like to think about my actions. My actions today might help me in a month. I gamble and take risks for bigger rewards. So, I'm gambling my knowledge of Nightmares, hoping to get more safety in the future."

Jaune lost its grin as he added softly, "I don't want to die."

As the Nightmare got ready for bed, Pyrrha thought about what she had just heard. She knew Nightmares were tricky and manipulative -Jaune freely admitted it just a few minutes prior-, but for the life of her she could not poke holes into its reasoning. It did make sense. Maybe not the part about few Nightmares having the 'Drive', but its logic on why it did not try to bring chaos at all times was untouchable. The more Nightmares survived, the more chaos they could bring to the world. If they got themselves killed needlessly… _'No. No, it's not because of that.'_

She glanced at the now asleep Demon. _'Self preservation. Will to live. That's why Jaune does not act like a Nightmare. Because doing so would go against its life expectancy. It's doing everything just for itself.'_

The thought did not ease her tension. _'That's exactly what most humans and Faunus do too. Does that mean Jaune should be considered a person too? A person, but not a human, like it said?'_

Pyrrha shook her head and glared at the jungle ahead of her. Really, Jaune had chosen the best time to pile stress on her shoulders. And worst of all, it was working. Now she probably wouldn't even get a wink of sleep.


	7. The Jungle of the Lost

_**Hello everyone! I'm back with Redemption, and their quest to find the Relics!**_

 _Shnick_.

Crescent Rose's blade left the evaporating corpse of the last Beowolf with a satisfying squelch, allowing the creature to die without a brand of metal wedged in its body. Ruby felt she could at least give it that mercy, after having slaughtered the pack of Beowolves that had had the misfortune to wander on their path.

Ahead of her, Jaune returned to his job as path opener. Literally. Since he was the only dual sword wielder in their group, he could use both weapons to cut branches and bushes at the same time, thus reducing the time others would've needed. Ruby herself would've done a great job at path opening, but she had been removed from the work after the fourth time she had accidentally gotten her weapon stuck in a tree after swinging it too widely.

Ruby followed up right behind the Nightmare, with Weiss, Pyrrha, Yang and Blake in tow. As they advanced, she couldn't help but noticed how Jaune seemed to be in an incredibly good mood, as if slowly trudging through tangled vines and tricky mud was incredibly entertaining to him.

 _'And I thank the Gods I keep my hair from growing out too much instead of letting it grow like Yang likes to do'_ she mused in her head, allowing a tiny smirk to surface as she heard Yang curse once again against the branches that kept getting caught in her flowing blonde hair. Out of all of them, Jaune and then Ruby had the shorter hairstyles. Weiss and Pyrrha had ponytails that, if left free, would probably be about as long as Yang's hair, and Blake's hair still fell down past her shoulders.

Needless to say, they were hating the jungle.

Jaune too had been displeased during the first three days of wading through the endless sea of tangled green, but today he seemed more upbeat. More than any of them, at least. Even if Ruby didn't have nearly as many hair problems as the others, her weapon was maybe the most hindered by the thick undergrowth. Jaune had some problems actually _fighting_ with his weapons, both swords being longer than Pyrrha's, Blake's or Weiss's, but he wasn't bothered by that at all. Or at least, he didn't seem to be.

For the uneventful five or six days Ruby had known Jaune, he didn't seem the type to show much emotions when it was not needed. She supposed it was because while inside the necklace, he rarely had to expressly communicate his emotions, instead just keeping them for himself. That explained why he referred to his initial oddness as straight-out 'madness'.

Still, despite kind of trusting him, Ruby was not feeling comfortable with his eerie lack of emotions. When he was talking, his voice and expression hinted at his thoughts, but when he was not in a conversation the boy's expression just settled on much less intense emotions. If his emotions were positive, he would have a light smile. If they were negative, he would wear a light frown.

That was a far cry from how the rest of the group behaved. Ruby and Yang pretty much wore their emotions on their sleeves, so a simple glance was usually enough to learn how they were feeling. Weiss was often serious, but the sheer complexity of her expression was a sign of what emotions laid under her stern visage. Blake was similar to Weiss, though she was usually a little more positive, and she smiled more often. Pyrrha… was another complicated matter, as her expression was usually determined, but whenever she talked with them, it would morph into a smile only found on TV.

So Ruby wasn't really comfortable with Jaune. He had proved to be as complex as a human, yet a look would never show just how complicated the boy could be. He liked to think before he acted, yet Ruby couldn't read any of his thoughts on his face.

Again, it was probably due to the fact he was not used to show emotions, but it was still creepy.

 _'Well, better than how he was four days ago…'_ she reminded herself. _'Back then, he simply never showed emotions unless he was talking…'_

So lost in her thoughts she was, that she didn't notice how everyone else had stopped, and promptly crashed into Jaune.

"Ack!"

"Aaah!"

Two yelps sounded in the jungle as the two teens recovered from the collision. Ruby chuckled sheepishly as Weiss regarded her with a raised eyebrow. Thankfully for her, the Ice Queen's stare soon moved to the Nightmare before them. "Why have you stopped?" she asked imperiously.

"I'm feeling good." The plain reply didn't seem to spark any realization in the others, so Ruby guessed she wasn't the only one to be ignorant. Under their five combined stares, Jaune shrugged. "I'm a Nightmare. The Relics are basically what makes us Nightmares, they are strictly linked to Nightmares. Grimm are too weak-willed to feel this, but I guess what I'm feeling is the Relic's power."

"So this means… that the Relic must be close!" exclaimed Ruby, understanding what he meant. "Finally! I'm so tired of this jungle!"

"We have been in it only for three days," Blake pointed out. "If you think this is hard, you are never going to survive in the Menagerian desert."

"It doesn't matter right now, what matters is that our objective is close by," Pyrrha cut in, stopping the argument before it could even begin, as Jaune returned to cut through the tangled branches.

Ruby bit back her retort and followed him. There was no point in trying to convince Blake. In the few days they had known each other, it had been clear Blake was the most used to surviving the wildlands. But… she kind of had little patience for the ones who couldn't. It wasn't like she treated them poorly because of that, perish the thought! It was more like… she didn't seem to believe they could manage. Even when they had entered the jungle, she had been very doubtful whether they'd be able to keep up marching all day.

Ruby winced. Well, technically she _had_ been able to keep up. The fact her legs hurt like hell when the night fell just meant she could push past her limits instead of falling down in spasms. She even complained less than Weiss and Yang, though one was because of the strain while the other because of the twigs sticking in her hair.

Ruby's gaze moved to Pyrrha. Of all of them, Pyrrha had the most reason to complain. Her hair was very long, easily as long as Yang's once let down, and she was walking in _heels_. _High heels_. Ruby shuddered. How the redhead could manage something like that, she didn't know. The jungle's terrain was tricky even for Ruby herself, the lighter of the group, who was wearing combat boots.

Though she didn't miss the subtle winces on Pyrrha's face whenever she stumbled. Despite not complaining, it was clear the champion was _so_ not enjoying herself in the jungle.

"Jaune, does your feeling tell you how much longer 'til we get to the Relic?" groaned Yang, removing a large spider that had fallen on her head like it was a common happening. Which it actually had become, after the first four or five times large insects had dropped down on them.

Ruby shivered at the sight of the grey eight-legged monster. She wasn't afraid of spiders, but that didn't mean she liked them. They were too… creepy and crawly.

"What kind of question is that? This is the first time I feel like this, and mine was just a guess. I never felt something like this, so I wouldn't know." Jaune stopped cutting the undergrowth just enough to scratch the back of his head. "Plus, I don't think there's something very mathematical about a Relic's aura of power, if there even is one. It's like asking Pyrrha if she can calculate how distant Nightmares are when her radar goes off."

Yang turned to the champion, but to everyone's chagrin she just shook her head. "That's right, I can only feel Nightmares. If I could pinpoint their position, it'd be much easier. It's why Nightmares hide in crowds. You can't open fire on a crowd just because you felt a Nightmare among them."

"That would make their job too easy," snorted Yang, shaking her head. "So 'close' could be after the next tree, or within ten miles from here. Really good news then…"

"I did warn you that these places are not easy to find," Weiss sniffed imperiously. "Otherwise others would've found them before."

"Ozpin said these places are _appearing_ now," Blake pointed out from the back. "This means they weren't here before. Magic is… well, magic. It's quite possible for it to work differently from our Lunas."

"What makes you think that?" Jaune snorted. "I mean, Lunas can more or less do anything. They are splinters of magic the people have. Why would you think magic would behave differently?"

"Splinters of wood and trees don't behave the same way," Blake reminded him. "Trees can grow and change, and are _alive_ , while splinters will always be the same. They are dead once separated from the tree."

Jaune snorted as he quite literally wrenched down an entire wall of ivy and vines. "Okay, okay, so magic could behave differently… from… Lunas…" Ruby looked at him weirdly as he stared at the jungle ahead, eyes wide in astonishment, the curtain of vines still in his hands. "Holy Salem…"

"What, you saw a nice flower?" Yang chuckled at her own humour. "Why'd you stop?"

"I… think we found the Relic's location," stated Jaune, pointing straight ahead, at the canopy of branches. "And honestly, I'm surprised people haven't seen this from the sky, it's massive!"

Ruby and the others stared ahead. Vines, branches, bushes, trees, and more vines created a semi-impenetrable wall before them, with no sign of the thing Jaune claimed to be seeing. In the following silence, one could hear the large insects buzzing overhead. While Jaune continued to stare in amazement, the others waited for the joke to end. The Nightmare had never joked like that, but there was always a first time… or so Ruby thought.

Eventually, Weiss sighed. "It's clear we cannot see anything," she stated flatly. Jaune turned and looked at her as if she had said the sky was purple. "Jaune, can you feel anything different while looking at it? Something you don't feel while you're looking at the jungle itself?"

Jaune blinked, glanced back at the canopy of branches, then shrugged. "Maybe? Not sure. I just see a large collapsed temple, with many stones scattered around, a huge clearing with greener grass, and patches of moss everywhere. It's as if this place had been here for Salem knows how long, but had always been covered by the branches up until a few months ago."

"Months?"

"I would've said years, but the lack of wildlife or trees in this clearing means that either the magic is keeping them out, or they still haven't had the time to settle here," explained the humanlike Demon. "Now that I described it, can you see it?"

"No." Five voices chorused in answer to his question.

"Maybe only he can see it since he is the 'Blood of Remnant'?" offered Yang, though she didn't look very convinced by her own guess. "If that's so, I think we are in trouble. We cannot fight what we can't see nor perceive."

"Well, there would be a solution," smirked Jaune, impaling his swords into the ground and leaning on them with his hands. "You'd have to have some Dusk in you."

Ruby looked at him with suspicion, and she knew the others were doing much the same. "What… do you mean?" she asked cautiously. "You can't turn a human into a Nightmare… right?"

The air seemed to grow colder, and the girls gripped their weapons tighter.

However, Jaune just shrugged. "Not that I know of. And if it's possible, it surely isn't something a low-class Nightmare like me would be able to do, or we would've taken over the world already." He pushed up his right sleeve, untying it from his middle finger, and showed them the bare skin. "I was just going to suggest for you to ingest a drop of my blood. Not sure if it'll work though."

"How do we know it's not poisonous?" Yang all but growled lowly.

"It's not." Surprisingly, Pyrrha was the one to speak up, still staring at the Nightmare. "It has been recorded of Hunters being covered in Nightmare blood and… accidentally ingesting some. The effects varied, but they were mostly just stomach pains or short stabs of pain along the spinal cord's area, and they didn't last long nor they compromised their combat skills."

"So it'd be like drinking bad water," mumbled Blake.

Ruby glanced at everyone else in turn. "That's all you say?! He offers to make us drink _blood_ and you are just ignoring that?!" To say that she was beyond horrified would've been an understatement by then.

"No, Ruby, Nightmares are made up entirely of Dusk, so what he is offering is just some Dusk. As if you were to offer some Aura. He will regenerate it in no time," explained the redhead champion.

"That's still horrible!" exclaimed the girl, still shocked that they would even consider doing something like that. "We'd still be eating a part of him!"

"If anything, _we_ should be the ones you should be sad for," Weiss sniffed imperiously, losing her tense combat stance. "Consider it like eating someone else's nail clippings."

Ruby turned a delicate shade of green at that, and Yang was not behind.

"Great job," Blake remarked sarcastically, frowning at the Schnee heiress before sighing and turning to the others. "It'd be like… like… like when you're eating someone out. You do ingest some stuff but no one ever complains. Or well, few do."

The example had everyone, even Jaune, stare at her. "W-What? It's just an example!" she defended herself.

"Like when you find a hair in your soup. You don't even notice it most of the time," Pyrrha quickly came to help her out, though a little surprised by the girl's less than proper example. "Besides, Dusk's unbound form is black smoke-like vapour, so honestly it'd just be like inhaling some smoke."

Yang hummed doubtfully, but then she relented. Ruby, instead, could not stop thinking about it. Drinking someone's _blood_ … that sounded so awful. She looked away as Jauned pressed his index finger's digit against the sharp side of his sword, cutting himself ever so slightly. He pressed a little onto the finger to force a little bit of blood out, and then a bit more, until there was a very small rivulet of blood lazily flowing out of the cut. "Who's first?"

"I am. If this is a trick, at least I'll be the one to bear the consequences, not the others." Pyrrha gently dipped the point of her weapon in his blood, picking up minuscule amount of it, and gingerly licked it off the blade, unconsciously looking very badass while doing so. She grimaced and forced herself to swallow, though the loud gulp made Ruby stiffen ever further. "This is disgusting."

"Were you expecting caramel?" Jaune asked sarcastically, holding the hand out for Weiss to take it.

The heiress was now looking slightly greenish, but a quick glance to Pyrrha assured her it was fine. She lightly dabbed her finger on the blood, and sucked on it. The green intensified immediately and she looked on the verge of throwing up for a second. Then she reigned in her disgust and swallowed.

First Blake, and then Yang took the blood too. Ruby adamantly refused.

"Come on, sis, it's just a drop!" Yang tried to urge her on, withholding her own disgust.

"I am _not_ going to drink someone's _blood_ like that!" Ruby exclaimed, holding in a revolted gag. "I can get that if you're fighting and some accidentally gets in your mouth, you can be forgiven. It's no less horrifying but I can get it. But to willingly _drink_ it?!"

Four pairs of eyes met as Weiss, Yang, Pyrrha and Blake all looked at the girl. "Sis… come on, you are training to become a Huntress and on your way to save the world. You cannot allow some gore to stop you," Yang told her softly. "We will probably have to do this every time we are near a Relic."

"Nah, it's fine," shrugged Jaune, ripping a tiny shred of cloth from his sleeve and holding it out for Ruby. "Here, swallow this. My clothes are made from Dusk too, you know? I can reform it and you don't have to think you're drinking blood. Easy and quick. It won't taste any better though."

Weiss gagged as she glared at him. "And why didn't you tell _us_ of this?"

Jaune grinned infuriatingly, "And why should I have done that? Your faces were priceless. It's just that since Ruby is refusing and we need to go in there, I figured I could put my fun aside and offer a solution. Since, you know, going in there with a blinded fighter is worse for everyone involved."

Yang snatched the cloth from his hand and offered it to Ruby. "There's no need to explain it every time, we get it. You only do what eventually brings you a gain. You are a Nightmare. Now, let's do this and… well… fuck…"

"Yang! Not you too with the swears!" Ruby cried as she took the cloth and, after a second of hesitation, stuffed it in her mouth, almost gagging at the foul taste. It tasted like… like… she couldn't place it. It was… foreign. As she chewed more, the foul taste faded, replaced with something else. It was… it tasted of something not so bad now. And then even that went away and the taste changed once more.

She glanced at the others, but they were too busy staring straight ahead, not really seeing the jungle before them. _'They are seeing past the illusion,'_ she realized. So it took just a handful of seconds for the effects to sink in.

The taste in her mouth was different now. It wasn't foul, nor it was weird. It tasted of… water? Yes, that was it. She felt as if she was chewing on some solid fresh stream water. She was freaked out and intrigued at the same time.

However, all games eventually had to end. _'Better not to keep them waiting,'_ she told herself, swallowing the substance. It lost all tastes as she gulped it down, and she was glad it didn't go back to being awful.

Then she waited.

When the illusion finally disappeared, it wasn't a gradual thing. The trees and tangled undergrowth did not fade slowly out of view. Instead, in the brief moment of blindness of a blink, it shattered. One second she could only see branches and jungle, and the next a huge clearing had popped up from the middle of nowhere.

Large rocks laid scattered around, and Jaune was right in saying that the clearing's grass was greener than the jungle's. But what really had her attention was the huge building that stood out behind a few rocks. Easily a hundred feet tall, what Jaune had called a 'temple' was majestic to say the least, but also very derelict-looking. What once were proud walls with sharp angles now could barely hold the structure up. A large entrance was semi-hidden by rocks and moss, and she could see some sort of light coming from within. Moss and ivy covered most of the outside, and Ruby wasn't sure if entering it would've been a good idea. It looked on the verge of collapsing.

"Wow…" was all she could say.

"Yeah, that was more or less my initial reaction too," Jaune sighed good-naturedly. "Now, let us be off. Or on, depends on what it means for us to be on. We have a Relic to find, and I for one am glad to be finally out of that tangle you all call forest."

"It's a jungle, to be precise, and there is a marked difference between a jungle and a forest. There is a reason why people don't usually go in here." Weiss swatted a large beetle-like creature aside when it buzzed in front of her. "Aside from these insufferable insects and the terrain itself, you'd have to consider the Grimm. Here, there are almost no Grimm because the thickness of the undergrowth and all these trees make it all but impossible for the larger ones to fight, and even the smaller ones have trouble. However, back when we were at the edges of the jungle, we had to fight Grimm quite often."

"You should remember, you're the one who successfully managed to anger a mindless monster," Blake remarked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Jaune shrugged, maybe not picking up on it, maybe not caring. Ruby's money was on the former. For all the cunning he showed with his 'think of the future' philosophy, Jaune wasn't the best at social interactions. Quite like her… if not even worse. Again, she blamed it on his lifelong imprisonment in the necklace. Whatever the reason, Jaune ignored Blake's sarcasm. "It's not really all that hard. Grimm are called mindless but they aren't. Taunting them works just fine."

"Calling a Beowolf 'kicked puppy' is not what I would call a taunt, but obviously we have difference prospectives," murmured Weiss.

Ruby loudly cleared her throat, and almost winced when everyone stared at her. Being the leader of their group was hard most of the time. Why was she leader again, then, if it sucked so much? Oh, right, because no one else was fit for it. Pyrrha still didn't talk all that much, same for Blake, while Yang… was Yang, and Weiss didn't really consider the others when planning. And Jaune… well, he would've made sure their group wouldn't die to keep himself safer, but other than that, he wasn't really a born leader.

And that left the youngest with the position of leader.

She withheld a sigh and spoke with a confidence she only felt marginally, "Well, let's go then."

Without another word, they quickly crossed the clearing and reached the building. Moving the ivy aside, they all darted inside. Fortunately, the building did not choose to collapse down on their heads the second they entered. They all saw the mossy walls, and the thousands of words written and scratched upon them, though in languages they couldn't understand. Among those words, Ruby could spot _Lie_ , _Falsity_ , _Untruth_ , _Mislead_ , and many others. A set of stairs led down, well-lit by torches, but that wasn't what had their complete attention.

Their wide eyes were fixed on the huge stone golem that was staring at them from the centre of the room. Easily twenty feet tall, the giant rock shaped like a knight was all but silent and still. It grated and scratched as its head turned slightly to look at everyone of them. Moss covered the age-old stone, yet it was still mostly intact. A gigantic sword, as tall as the golem itself, was being held in its hands, though the point was currently resting on the stone floor. Ruby felt her body stiffen and a shiver run down her spine, and she was sure the others had had a similar reaction as well.

 _'Well… magic?'_ she offered herself a meek excuse as to why they were suddenly face-to-face with a giant golem that, for all its intimidating visage, still hadn't made any move to attack them.

However, no attacks did not mean no interactions. With a voice that grated and wailed like rocks falling in the heart of a very deep cavern, the thing spoke gravelly, " **Are you ready to face the test?** "

Ruby felt herself shaking to the core. The voice was so ancient she doubted even the trees outside could rival it in age. Weiss, however, seemed less impressed, or at least more in control, and stepped forwards. "What test? Why should we? We aren't here for your tests, golem. If you do not attack us, we will not attack you."

" **The test has to be asked. Depending on your answer, I will either attack you or let you pass.** " rumbled the voice.

Weiss still stood her ground, but from behind Ruby could see a semi-hidden shaking in her frame. She was just as terrified as the others. She was just hiding it better. "Well then, I surely prefer a test to a fight with you. Especially if it's some kind of riddle like you're letting on."

" **This is the test: what is the number that, multiplied by six, then added to itself four times its original value, and then divided by itself, gives a result of ten?** "

Ruby and the others sighed in relief. It was just a riddle of some kind. A mathematical one. Jaune was the only one who didn't look all that relieved. While Weiss thought about the riddle, Ruby thought about why would Jaune look so troubled. He met her eyes, and there was something in them that made her pause.

His lips were moving. She frowned as she caught the last mouthed words.

… _o easy_.

She could guess that the sentence had been _It's too easy_. Jaune was not the kind of person who tried to mouth long sentences. She thought about it and she could actually see his logic. It was a little too easy. Anyone with a little brain would've been able to solve that riddle… not that she was implying she did not have said brain only because she wasn't the one who was thinking about it.

Anyone would've been able to think about it and give the correct answer.

The correct answer…

Her mind went back to the walls, and the words written on them.

 _Lies_.

 _Falsity_.

 _Untruth_.

 _Mislead_.

 _ **The Relic of Treason**_.

Her eyes went impossibly wide. Anyone would've been able to answer that question correctly… but did they really had to do that? As test, it was a little too easy. While it did prove the mathematical skill of the questioned, it didn't test their cunning. And she was almost certain the Relics did not want mathematical geniuses to find them, but smart Nightmares.

But if someone had to instead _lie_ … they would answer with the _wrong_ answer!

Panicking, she slapped a hand over Weiss's mouth before she could even open it. Ice blue met silver, and all the anger Weiss might've had over Ruby's hurried actions vanished once she took in the fearful look on her face.

"Ruby, what is it?" Yang asked impatiently. "Weiss had just found the answer!"

Ruby pointed at the walls. "It's a trick. We are not supposed to answer correctly! The Relic hidden in the Jungle of the Lost is the Relic of Treason! Look at the walls! It's written everywhere." She allowed the others to look, and then continued, "If we answer correctly, the guardian will attack us. This is not a test to our maths skills, but to our cleverness! We must give the wrong answer!"

"How can you be sure of this?" asked Pyrrha, worried. "If this is just a guess, we cannot risk to give the wrong answer."

Ruby furiously thought about it, but her mind was coming up blank. Fortunately, their resident cat Faunus was the one to actually find a solution. She turned back to the guardian and took a deep breath. "We know the answer. However, before we tell you, I have a question for you too. Answer this like you would answer your own 'test'. If we ended up fighting, would you win?"

The golem seemed to stare at her for a second before his voice rumbled out in the temple. " **No.** "

Blake turned to the others. "It's lying, of course it would win and kill us. Weiss, trust Ruby and give the answer."

Weiss sighed and glanced at Pyrrha and Yang for support. They both shrugged helplessly. "We already knew we'd end up in life-or-death situations," the blonde noted weakly. "Next time, though, we should be better prepared. All our training is not gonna help us if we don't expect this."

The white-haired heiress nodded shakily and turned to the guardian. Raising her voice, she claimed her answer, "No number!"

The golem stared at her for a second, like it had done with Blake, before it stepped aside, freeing the way to the stairs. " **Your answer has been evaluated. You may pass.** "

Ruby's heart soared. They had passed the test. Next, it would be the Relic.

 ** _Now, I'm sure you all liked this part. For the leadership thing, I know many Jaune-centric fics have Jaune as leader, but there are two reasons why I used Ruby instead. 1) this is actually a Ruby-centric fic, though many characters will get their PoV like Pyrrha did last chapter. And 2) for the reasons I stated in the chapter proper. In this, Jaune is just not fit for leadership, nor he is trusted with it._**

 ** _As for the golem's questions, it is basically this equation:_**

 ** _[(x * 6) + 4x] / x = 10_**

 ** _Solving it:_**

 ** _6x + 4x = 10x  
10x = 10x  
x = x_**

 ** _Any number is the answer. 0 is a very special number, so it won't be counted in this. Once you start limits of a function (calculus), you find out how to use the 0 better, hehe._**

 ** _So... I hope you liked this! I did, though here it's past 1 in the morning so I'd better hurry and go to sleep, hehe. ^^_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	8. Easy as Lying

**_Whelp, took my sweet, sick time to get this done. Next is DarkerShade, solving a cliffhanger I'm sure you've all hated. Now, no more words, let's... well, read more words, actually._**

The six of them climbed down the stairs in silence. This time, Yang and Pyrrha were the path openers, since they were the two juggernauts of the group. Not that the others couldn't fight, but Pyrrha had a shield she could use to deflect most blows, while Yang literally became stronger when she got hit thanks to her Damage Mirror Luna.

After them came Weiss and Blake, both being skirmishers more than heavy infantry. Weiss's sheer amount of Lunas and her Dust-chambered rapier offered a huge range of versatility, while Blake's shadow Luna allowed her to virtually dodge any attack, and her skill did the rest.

Ruby and Jaune came last, both because they were proficient enough in combat to hold their own in case they were attacked from behind, and because Jaune had to be kept safe, or the mission would've been for nothing. Ruby's weapon could pack a punch both in melee or at distance, so she didn't have problems with staying in the rearguard. Jaune, who still hadn't shown any ranged ability or skill, wasn't too torn up about being kept out of the fight. It just meant more chances for him to live.

Soon, the stairs ended and they found themselves in a large cavern lit by a soft yellow glow. Large yellow mushrooms adorned the walls of the cave, each glowing enough to allow them to see. The cave was completely empty, and on three sides the rocks covered in mushrooms closed off any escape. Behind them, the stairs led back up the temple, and on their left the only other opening in the cave revealed a deep underground river and the two stone bridges crossing it. The two bridges seemed identical, down to the last moss-cracked brick.

Beyond the two bridges, the entrance to another cave could be seen, but the angle at which they were observing it made it hard to tell the size of the other hollow. A mass of withered, black vines and tendril-simile roots covered the floor, the plants themselves probably long decayed away.

Pyrrha pursued her lips and stepped forwards with Yang, but Blake grabbed both their shoulders. "This is another test," she stated, nodding at the bridges. "There is no reason for two bridges to be here, so my guess is that one of those is a trap or illusion of some sort."

"Why would it be?" asked Weiss, raising an eyebrow at the Faunus. "We _passed_ the Relic's test. Now we only have to get the Relic itself."

"Had this been built by humans, your reasoning would stand," countered Blake. "But this was made by magic. Look at Jaune: can you really say he thinks like a human?" Weiss slowly shook her head. "Exactly. Jaune thinks differently. And tell me Jaune, if you were to hide one of the four most important things in the world, would you be satisfied with an undefeatable guardian, or would you add more?"

"Well, the more the merrier, that's the saying," shrugged the boy. "But I see your point. Multiple tests certainly do sound like something I'd put before a Relic."

Weiss sighed as she conceded the point. "Okay, then which one should we choose? They are identical."

Blake shrugged helplessly as everyone stared at the two bridges. "I have no idea. But like upstairs, maybe we are overlooking some details. Maybe there is something on the walls here too?"

"Let me try something," stated Yang, walking up to the two bridges and biting her lip in worry. "And guys, if I'm wrong, on my grave I'd like you to write a pun. Like… 'she did not choose right'."

Then she ran over the left bridge, ignoring Ruby's cry of worry. In a second or two, she found herself safe on the other side, and she slumped in sheer relief. "Well… let's forget that thing about my grave."

"How did you know the left one was the correct one?" asked Weiss as everyone slowly crossed the same bridge, feeling the stone solid under their feet.

"Honestly, mine was a guess," grinned the girl. "You see, we had the left bridge and the right bridge. Now, right also means correct, so I thought that if I were to lie, the correct bridge would be… the left one!"

Everyone stared at her, and Ruby looked positively horrified by the fact that magic had apparently placed a pun-based test to guard the Relic. Then Blake laughed. "Well, good job, I guess. Even though I'm not sure I agree with your methods."

"Hey, it worked, right?" Yang swaggered onto the next room, tossing them a smirk over her shoulder. "As reward, I-" She stopped to gag and slap a hand over her nose. "Oh gosh what's this stench?"

As the other entered, they too were hit by a powerful stench of decay and rotten meat, and the source of said stench seemed to be a number of large and wilted white flowers. The flowers also seemed to be the sources of the withered roots, although the question of how those plants had reached that cave in the first place remained unanswered. Each flower had five large petals, and in the middle there was a hole that showed the inner parts of the flower, small black spike-like protrusions that stood in the middle of the gap.

" _Rafflesia arnoldii_ ," Yang groaned into her hand as she recognized the flowers' shape. "One of the largest, if not the largest, flower in Remnant. The largest single flower, as the _amorphophallus titanum_ and the _corypha umbraculifera_ both have larger inflorescences but smaller flowers. And it smells like rotten meat, something that earned it the nickname 'corpse lily'. It is one of the most known symbolic jungle and rainforest flowers together with orchids. I should've known we would stumble into this thing, just our luck."

"You never hit me for a botanic expert," Weiss noted with a raised eyebrow.

Still with a hand covering her nose and mouth, Yang laughed. "Heh, you'd be surprised by the things you find while looking up random stuff 'cause you're bored. Honestly, I was looking up the world's largest dick, but the arum titan's scientific name is _amorpho_ _ **phallus**_ , so for some reason, after a while, I stumbled into that."

Everyone deadpanned at her, but then Pyrrha frowned and glanced at the flowers. "I thought rafflesia flowers were red, not white, though."

"Well, there are three possible explanations. One, these are albino rafflesia flowers. Two, they've been here for so long they've lost colour. Three, they are dead and for some reason have lost colour." Yang wrinkled her nose. "My money is on the latter. Although it is strange. Rafflesia do not have roots nor branches while these seem to."

"What? A plant without roots nor branches?" asked Ruby, inspecting the carpet of black vines. "How does it survive?"

"It's a parasite. For most of its life it lives inside the host plant, miniscule thread-like stems that take water and nutrients from the host. Then, when it's about to bloom, a large blossom grows out and then opens into one of those disgusting flowers." Yang pettily kicked one of the vines, and yelped when a rustling sound echoed in the cave. "Wha-"

She fell silent, as did the others, as more than two dozens black vines began to move – none of them being too close to them, thankfully. They twisted in mid-air and then whipped to face them, darting forth to try and catch them. The six jumped back and away from the tendrils, but they didn't stop at the border of the black carpet. Pyrrha blocked one with her shield while she sliced another off with her sword.

"We have to fight or retreat!" she called loudly. "If we just stay here we cannot win!"

"Right! Let's go back to the other side and then decide!" exclaimed Ruby, rushing forth faster than any of them could, and jumping on the bridge they had come from earlier…

…only to fall straight through it and toward the water below.

"Ruby!" Yang ran to the bridge, but before she could even step on it, a red blur shot up from the underground river and darted past her, back on solid ground. As the blur returned human, a soaked and shivering Ruby appeared, hugging her form with her arms and her teeth chattering. Yang immediately inverted directions and ran over to check on the girl. "Ruby! What happened?! Why did you fall?!"

"I-I-I-Illusion," stammered the drenched Huntress, shivering uncontrollably.

Jaune chopped off a tendril that had tried to grab him before shouting out, "The other bridge! Now our left side is the opposite, so we must take the other! They are both illusions, but it's magic!"

Without stopping to question the boy's statement, Yang grabbed Ruby and everyone made a dash for the other side, thankfully passing a solid bridge instead of falling through another illusion. The black vines seemed hesitant to follow them, or maybe they just weren't long enough to actually reach them.

In either case, they were temporarily safe.

Turning to the still shivering Ruby, whose body was still spasmed by chills, Jaune sighed and unclasped his cloak. "Ruby, take off whatever garments you can. You're gonna catch hypothermia otherwise."

Ruby nodded shakily and removed her cape and her jacket, leaving her in pants and shirt. Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Take off those too, they still cover most of your body and keep you cold. Besides, if Yang can wear those shorts, you can stay in your underwear and still feel more modest than her."

Hadn't Ruby been so chilled, she would've blushed up a storm and frozen up at the thought of undressing like that, but her mind was on autopilot, desperate to get warm. Yang, however, was a different story.

"Are you trying to get my sister in her underwear?!" she growled aggressively, grabbing the Nightmare's wrist as he began to remove his jacket.

"No, I'm trying to keep her from getting sick and slowing us down. I was going to give her my clothes to keep her warm, since none of you have really much in terms of clothing, just barely enough not to go around naked, plus I can strip down to my underwear without worrying about modesty." Jaune freed his wrist and removed both his vest and his shirt, tossing them at Ruby, who barely caught them. He then began to remove his trousers as well, though those would take longer due to all the straps and belts he had tied around the legs. "They are far too long for you, so roll them up. We'll use a few of my straps to keep them up so you won't be hindered. The shirt will still act as a skirt though. And this reinforces the fact we should've prepared a little more before going on this mission, since we all have no change of clothing."

Ruby nodded shakily as she pulled the shirt on, sighing in relief as she felt the soft warm from it reaching her chilled skin. Then she wore the vest and the cloak, and when Jaune handed them to her, his pants too. Only when she was more or less warm she realized Jaune was now just in his boxers and boots, still wearing her necklace. She squeaked and pulled up the hood over her face.

Blake smirked at the two of them at that. "Jaune, I know this is all about keeping the group as strong as you can for your own sake, but aren't you a little uncomfortable walking around basically naked?"

Ruby wasn't the only one who was blushing. Weiss and Pyrrha too had averted their gazes from the boy's toned body. He was definitely not a bodybuilder, but he still had lean muscles and a physique Blake could appreciate. And Yang too, if her grin was anything to go by.

"Why should I? I'm a Nightmare, not a human," shrugged Jaune, as if that answered everything. "I mean, sure, I'm not really comfortable but if we had to follow that line of thought, you, Yang and Pyrrha should all die of embarrassment. Since, you know, your outfits are basically intended to show off your body to anyone looking?"

The three of them blushed slightly at the jab, but a throat-clearing from Weiss stopped them from retorting. "I do believe we have some Grimm rafflesia flowers to exterminate," she reminded them. "They seem to rely on the carpet of vines to hunt since they do not have visible eyes, so we have to either be careful not to touch them, an impossible feat, or kill them all. And there were over a dozen of those inflorescences in there."

"Grimm rafflesia…" mumbled Ruby, peeking at Jaune. "Jaune, any bright idea?"

The boy shrugged. "We throw Pyrrha at them and run through while they fight her?" he offered, earning a half-hearted glare from the shorter girl and a true glare from the tall redhead. "Or, you know, go in there and hack them to pieces? They seemed slow enough. Plus you can just shoot the flowers to kill them."

"But the white flowers are all bone," Ruby pointed out. "I am not sure if they can be killed so easily. I mean, my awesome baby is a high-impact rifle, but even Crescent Rose has limits."

"It's either fighting or giving up," Yang noted with a grin. "And I for one am all for fighting. Two boring riddles in a row… now let's get some fun in!"

"Of course you would say that," snorted Weiss as everyone turned to the two bridges. The black tendrils seemed to have subsided now, probably considering their prey long gone. "Although I am curious as to why these Grimm are here. We haven't encountered any in several miles' radius from here, why should they be so close to the Relic if other Grimm don't even wander in this zone?"

"Maybe they are guardians of sorts," Blake spoke up as they all slowly crossed the left bridge. "These Grimm rafflesia seem to be ambusher-style fighters, unlike Beowolves or Ursai. This is the Relic of Treason… maybe it's still somehow related?"

"Whatever, let's just kill them all and get out of here," sighed Weiss just before a large creature stood in the cavern's entrance. "What the-"

The newcomer looked like a giant crab, if they had to be honest. Its body was almost entirely white, indicating a large amount of armour, but the undersides of its pincers and of its body was black. It had six lightly armoured legs and four beady red eyes. Its mouth was not visible, but they kind of doubted it was mouthless. The crablike monster chittered and crawled toward them a little clumsily. Apparently, maybe since crabs usually moved sidewards, the Grimm had difficulty moving forwards too.

"A Depth Dweller, and a very old one too. I guess it has already achieved the Ancient Depth Dweller status," noted Weiss, this time knowing the correct name of the Grimm. "It's a Grimm crab, and all in all it's similar to a Deathstalker, but without the stinger. Yang, Pyrrha, you two should be able to handle it."

"But why is it coming out only now?" asked Blake as Pyrrha deflected a pincer attack and slashed at the other, making it back away and leaving an opening for Yang to exploit.

"Grimm often mock life. Had these monsters been non-Grimm, a critter like that Depth Dweller would've probably eaten the remains of the monster rafflesia's victims, clearing the cave from their corpses and thus making the trap harder to recognize," explained Weiss, always knowledgeable. "Especially since these flowers naturally stink of rotten meat. It's for the same reason Beowolves live in packs like wolves. They mock nature by imitating it. Especially since Grimm do not need to eat. This is a twisted version of that habitat."

 _Crunch_. Yang's fist cracked the Depth Dweller's shell, making it screech as dark ichor flow from the wound. "This is easier than I thought!" exclaimed the young woman, nodding at Pyrrha when the redhead blocked another pincer from the monster. "It's not that hard to kill."

"Depth Dwellers are critters and ambushers," explained Weiss, keeping her rapier pointed at the monster. "Not frontline fighters. They are about as strong as the average Beowolf, to be honest."

With another punch, Yang ended the Grimm, that screeched again before dissolving into smoke. "Well, that surely makes it easier for us. Now there are only the Grimm cabbages to take care of."

"Grimm rafflesia," Weiss corrected her with an edge in her voice that said Yang's humour had not been well-received.

She got a shrug for her trouble. "Whatever their name is, we're kicking their butts."

" _We_ are, you are staying back," Ruby told her, shivering still but now far less than before. "If we have to cut the tendrils, then your weapons will be next to useless. We all have cutting weapons, so we'll fight."

"Yay," grumbled Blake, readying her katana. "Fighting a bunch of Grimm plants is not exactly how I envisioned this mission would go."

"I'm sure we all weren't expecting… _this_ ," replied Weiss, flicking his hair back as everyone walked up to the border of the black carpet. "Especially Ruby, I'm sure she was not planning on getting in Jaune's pants today."

Jaune groaned as his cheeks lit up in embarrassment. "I'm never gonna hear the end of that, am I?" he wailed. Ruby blushed just as much, if not worse, and went back to hiding her face in the hood of Jaune's cloak.

"Probably not," shrugged Blake, as everyone readied to fight and stepped on the vines that would alert the Grimm. "It's our daily bad deed, after all."

/-/

 _Shhhink_.

With one last hissing swing, the final Grimm rafflesia slumped and disintegrated. Ruby was panting slightly, but at least she wasn't cold any more. The others weren't too far behind. Weiss, instead, had placed her rapier away and had been busy scribbling down on a notepad she had taken out of her backpack for the last fifteen minutes or so.

"What are you doing, Ice Queen?" asked Yang, peeking over her shoulder – not that it was hard, even Ruby would've been able to do that. "Uh? You are into art?"

"No, you dolt. I am tracing these Grimm drawings in case we just found a new type of Grimm. Depth Dwellers are already well-known, but these rafflesia Grimm… I have never heard of them." Weiss continued to draw and write notes. "If we really did just discover a new species, I want to take the credit for it."

She flipped the notepad so that everyone could see the page. She had drawn the Grimm in high detail, highlighting its weaknesses and providing with split views of it from different angles. The name _**Blooddrinker**_ was written boldly on the top of the page, and elegant notes stuck out in small paragraphs.

"Whoa…" Jaune stepped forwards first and reached out to take it. He stopped and silently asked for permission, receiving an eyeroll and a reluctant nod. He took it and looked at it. "This is… heck, calling these drawings beautiful would be an insult to them. Are you a Huntress or an artist?"

Weiss flushed slightly at the praise, but she looked away in sadness. "My family life is… not the warmest. I took up drawing and singing as ways to distract myself and… I had plenty of time to practise," she explained rigidly. "Being the heiress of the world's main Dust trade company can be straining."

"Oh, Weiss, why didn't you tell us?" cooed Ruby, hugging the heiress, much to her displeasure. "We could've had a sleepover! We could've become friends!"

"Unhand me this instant, you uncouth dolt!" exclaimed Weiss, but everyone could tell the insult wasn't really meant. The order was, though, and Ruby stepped back with a sheepish smile on her face.

"One thing, why the name Blooddrinker, though?" asked Blake, looking at the drawings.

Weiss dusted herself off as Ruby detached herself from the girl, and huffed. "These Grimm did not have very strong jaws, and they did not rely on strangling their prey. Plus the small spikes in their cores seemed only good for light piercing, not enough to reach any vital organ. My guess is that they hold the victims with their tendrils while they make them bleed out by a thousand tiny bites, and thus the name." She sniffled imperiously. "Besides, if I really discovered them, then I can call them whatever I want. Besides, why would someone call a Grimm raven 'Nevermore'? It doesn't really make sense."

"She's got you there," commented Yang.

"I suggest we keep this discussion for later while we continue," Pyrrha interrupted them, pointing at where the cavern seemed to turn to the left. "While there is no set time limit for this, we shouldn't waste time arguing."

"I don't smell anything coming from the beyond that corner," stated Blake, taking the time to analyse the cavern now that the fight had subsided. "And there doesn't seem to be anything else in this cave that could attack us, if you don't count those weird yellow mushrooms."

With the death of the Grimm rafflesia, the black carpet of vines had disappeared to show the rocky floor of the cave. All in all, the cave was truly massive, going as far as a hundred feet in height. A shallow lake of crystal-clear water stood out in the middle of the room, maintained by the same underground river they had crossed earlier. Several stalagmites and stalactites stood out at the edges of the cave and on the ceiling, but it was clear the Grimm rafflesia had destroyed anything that could ruin their sensitive carpet, turning the ground in a smooth bed of rock.

"Well, I guess we should just go on then," Ruby stated cheerfully, hugging herself a little closer in Jaune's vest. "I'm still not completely dry, so keeping moving should be good for me!"

"You could always ask Jaune to keep you warm," quipped Blake, smirking at the two embarrassed teens.

"Look, it was the most logical thing to do!" exclaimed Jaune, trying to defend his point while also blushing. The fact he still was just in his boxers and boots kind of ruined his stern voice. "A dead Ruby is useless to anyone, and I was the one with more clothes on! And with the warmest clothes too. I mean, Yang is more or less about to cross the line into indecency with those tight shirt and shorts of hers, you Blake are about as clothed as a catgirl on a porn magazine, let's not get even started with Pyrrha's 'armour' and her corset-thing that basically only keeps her tits up, and I'm pretty sure Weiss wouldn't have agreed to strip down to her underwear, so I did what had to be done and gave her some _real_ clothes!"

There was a moment of silence.

"If you were to turn any redder, you'd pop a vein," Blake noted in a monotone voice before backhanding him with her right hand. "Also, that's for comparing me to a catgirl on a porn magazine. Though thanks, I've never been compared to a pornstar. Must be a compliment if so many people like them."

"Could we please stop talking about that?!" Ruby shouted, her cry echoing in the cave and back at her. The poor girl was so red she seemed about to start steaming. It also didn't help she was still wearing the Nightmare's clothes, but now she was sure she wasn't cold any more. Embarrassment was a very efficient solution for the cold. "It's just… we're on a mission to save the world, and you all are always talking about sex! First Blake with her example earlier, then Yang with her internet searches, then Jaune with his usual rudeness… can you just stop?"

"Hey, little missy, don't think _your_ Scroll history is so much cleaner!" retorted Yang.

"Actually, it is," replied Jaune, smirking at Yang's surprise. "After all, she knows how to delete her search history."

"I must agree with Ruby here, can't we continue with our mission?" Weiss exploded with cold anger. "You are all acting like hormone-driven children here! Keep your indecent and crass topics for when we are not near one of the four most important objects in the world, one of the four Relics that will _save our world_!"

Flushing and looking away in shame, everyone mumbled an apology as the group continued to move on, turning the corner and continuing through a narrower corridor naturally excavated in the rocky wall. They had to proceed in rows of two, entering another cave, thus this time far smaller, only about fifteen feet in height and twenty-five in diameter.

Then a thought struck Weiss. "Jaune, back in the jungle, you had Ruby eat a strip of your clothes to get Dusk in her system," she recalled, and the boy nodded in confirmation. "So… is Ruby, like… wearing your skin?"

Ruby's eyes widened and she paled at that, but Jaune shrugged. "Eh, not really. She's wearing my Dusk, so part of me, sure, but we Nightmares don't really differentiate skin or flesh or clothes. It's all just Dusk. It'd be as if she were to be wearing one of your Auras. Technically she's still wearing part of you, but it's nothing to worry about."

"Are we sure about that?" Pyrrha inquired suspiciously, staring at the clothes as if they could grow jaws and swallow Ruby whole in a moment.

"Well, Ruby wore the necklace, and my Dusk was all in that necklace, so she's already worn part of me before," Jaune pointed out, lifting his necklace for the others to see it. "When you're a Nightmare, your body is all the same. There is no skin, no clothes, no flesh, or organs, or hair, or anything. There is only pure dark essence. Then we can make it turn into skin, clothes, flesh, organs, hair and everything else, but all in all we're made of darkness. You are different. Your skin and your flesh are two different matters, and your organs are still another thing. Your darkness is all kept in your chest, your heart I'm guessing, so that it doesn't taint the rest of your body. We aren't like that, our darkness is what we are. So comparing us would be just pointless, we're not the same."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Yang exclaimed, holding her hands up. " _Our_ darkness? What the hell is that?"

Jaune blinked. "Uhhh… your darkness? The reason why Demons hunt you? The Gift of Salem? The Blood of Remnant? Ozma's Bane?" Their eyes just got wider and wider as he continued to list names off. "Uhhh… you all have no idea?"

"Wait a second… Demons hunt us because of something in our bodies?" Weiss asked, eyes wide.

Jaune awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "I'm guessing humans didn't know this…"

"Of course we didn't, that sounds like very advanced Demon knowledge!" exclaimed Ruby, grabbing his arm and clinging to it as if to try and climb on him to look at him on an even height. "Tell us everything!"

Jaune frowned. "It's not really all that much… people just have a seed of darkness in their hearts just like they have a seed of light. This darkness can be manipulated, and eventually it's what forms your emotions. Your light is your body, your darkness is your soul."

"So you mean that Demons hunt our souls?" asked Blake, and he nodded. "And why did you call it darkness?"

"Because that's what it is. Light is a domain of order: things as chaotic and random as souls have no place in its domain. They are in the domain of darkness, where they can grow and change and be whatever they wish without any set limit, while the body cannot change at will, only follow the laws of Nature," explained the boy, looking every bit as surprised as they were, though for their ignorance and not for the topic. "Darkness does not always mean death and destruction. One of the Relics is the Relic of Chaos, after all. Darkness is… the wild side."

"And what did you say about our darkness being manipulated?" Pyrrha inquired as the others tried to wrap their heads around the new knowledge.

"Oh, that's easy. With Demonic Lunas, of course. I have one too!" Jaune winked at them, not noticing how the champion tensed up. "Dark Call and Dark Corruption. The first increases the darkness's density so that it attracts more Demons to it, while the second empowers people's negative sides and basically makes them far worse people. There are many more, even mind-controlling ones in the case of very powerful Nightmares, but of course we can use that!"

A second later, three swords and a fist were aimed at his face.

"Well, I guess I just asked for this," sighed Jaune as Ruby tried to make the others lower their weapons. "Don't you think that, had I thought using them on you would've granted me freedom, I would've used them on you while you were sleeping?"

The swords got back up.

 ** _Aaaand bomb dropped on them. So yay, human souls are born of darkness. After all, darkness does not mean evil._**

 ** _Nothing much to say, honestly it must be that I'm sick but these last chapters I posted... I never really had much to comment._**

 ** _No, wait, stop, I have something to say! The new Grimm!_**

 ** _So, Blooddrinkers (alpha: Blooddrinker Nestmother). Grimm rafflesia. Heh, I am pretty sure no one has ever done this before. Grimm plants? Sure. Grimm rafflesia? Nah. And after all, 'Grimm plant' means more or less as much as 'Grimm animal'. There are tons and tons of plants... ^^_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	9. The Relic of Treason

It took a while for Ruby to talk the other girls out of instant murder. Her main argument was, of course, that Jaune hadn't actually given them any reason to attack him. If anything, they should've been grateful he had told them about what abilities and Luna Nightmares could have. Just as obviously, not everyone agreed with her, especially Yang and Pyrrha. One out of sheer hotheadedness, the other out of the dislike she held for the Nightmare. Eventually, Weiss even had to step in and help the younger redhead out.

"…and finally, don't you think that we should get going, instead of bickering on? Jaune has not harmed us nor tried to. Not yet, at least. He instead gave us information about other Nightmares that, while I'm sure other Hunters know about it, is still a new notion for us. Besides, the Relic is waiting for us, we should go."

Slowly, Pyrrha lowered her weapon, even though she was still keeping an eye on the relatively old Nightmare. "I'm sorry, Weiss, I acted without thinking. You're right, the Relics awaits us."

"Not to disrupt the peace you've managed to bring, but you'd all better take in consideration one thing," Jaune pointed out, earning a glare from everyone as he actually _did_ disrupt the peace. "You know you can't kill me, right? I mean, out of all of us, I'm the only one who can actually take the Relic. Plus, the guardians might attack you on sight if you don't have a Nightmare with you. And lastly, if you kill me, the Dark Essence within you will disappear as well, and you won't see through the illusion any more. That might end up being quite traumatic, especially underground."

His remark didn't help the atmosphere at all, but at least contained the right amount of harsh truth to calm Yang down to a reasonable level. "I hate when you're right," she groaned, rubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"He does make some pretty convincing points," noted Blake. "Though I am curious as to why he told us."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked naively. "It was an accident. Slip of the tongue."

"I'm not so sure," replied the princess of Menagerie. "I mean, he often talks about how he always looks to the future when doing something, and then he just lets something like that slip? It just doesn't add up."

"What? I'm like that sometimes. I mean, I did spend fifteen years with only Ruby as company. Hearing her thoughts and all of that, y'know?" Ruby pouted at him and kicked his shin. "Ouch. Anyway, it's not like I _always_ think of the future. If I did, I'd take so much time cobwebs would start growing on me, without talking about real spiderwebs from the bravest critters."

"Yes, but for you to just let slip something so important?" Blake pressed on. "It's suspicious."

"She does have a point," Weiss agreed, siding with the cat Faunus. "Letting slip something small is one thing, but this was far too big, and I think you knew it too. Why did you do it?"

Jaune crossed his arms and grumbled, looking to the side. "I firmly believe this is racism. Just because I'm a Nightmare you can't assume I always have a reason behind my actions. I told you already. Do you never slip up, Ms Strict-and-Perfect?"

"I'm not strict nor perfect -not by the standard definition, at least- and you are dodging the question. Or rather, you are lying, and poorly at that, to avoid answering truthfully," Weiss rebutted without missing a beat.

"Come on, Jaune, tell us! We're gonna remain here until you do!" exclaimed Ruby. Seeing that received no response, she puffed out her cheeks and resorted to the ultimate weapon against stubborn children and teenagers, the same one her mother used on her. The full name treatment, so dreaded by entire generations of sons and daughters. "Jaune Luna Arc, tell us why you told us about those Demonic Lunas!"

Weiss was about to roll her eyes at the childish 'full name treatment', as Ruby called it. How such an action could terrify children into obedience, she would never know. After all, it was only a few words that just coincidentally also made up your full name.

Jaune froze.

His muscles stiffened, his teeth grated together, and his eyes narrowed to slits in anger as his hands closed into fists so tightly his nail broke through his skin. Everyone stilled as they noticed the obvious change, but what had them on edge was the sheer amount of rage emanating from the boy-like Nightmare. It was so overpowering Weiss and Ruby even took a step back.

"I thought… it'd be nice… to let you know… in case you needed it… against the Relic's guardians," Jaune growled through gritted teeth, every word struggling and fighting to come out of his lips. His voice absolutely _dripped_ with venom and fury, and if looks could kill, Ruby would've been obliterated by the sheer hatred in his eyes.

As soon as those words left his mouth, the spell seemed to break, and Jaune's control followed suit.

With a guttural snarl of anger he threw himself at the shorter girl, not even thinking of summoning his weapons as he tried to just claw her eyes out. Fortunately for her, Pyrrha reacted with reflexes born from years of practice and forcefully bashed the Nightmare aside with her shield, pinning him against a wall. "Yang, help!" she called out, knowing that while physically stronger than him, she still didn't have enough overwhelming raw strength to completely neutralize him.

Said blonde didn't even hesitate, broken out of her shock, as she launched herself against the Nightmare. A sharp uppercut snapped his head upwards, exposing his throat long enough for Pyrrha to place her sword against it. Heedless to the blade now grazing his neck, Jaune continued to struggle to free himself, consumed by a rage so great he couldn't even think straight. Had he been thinking straight, he would've used his Demonic Rose Luna to escape, like he had learned from watching Ruby train with it.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, he did not think of that, and a second punch from Yang knocked him out like a blown-out candle. Pyrrha allowed his body to slump before retreating, removing her sword from his neck and her shield from his chest.

"What was that?" Blake asked, shocked by what had just happened. The whole exchange had taken less then ten seconds from start to finish.

"I think I have an idea," Weiss spoke up, looking at the boy with a mix of wariness and pity. "I do not know why, but he seemed to be under some sort of mind control, or body control. I highly doubt Ruby would be able to do such a thing even if she did have a mind controlling Luna, which she doesn't have. My guess is that Huntlord Ozpin put a seal on him to force him to obey us so that he wouldn't go against us during the mission."

"A seal that can only be activated by saying his full name?" Pyrrha inquired doubtfully.

"Ozpin said something about forgers, bearers and weavers," Yang recalled, brushing herself off as she left Jaune slumped against the wall. "Maybe that's it?"

"It would certainly explain why Nightmares are so eager to kill their bearers, forgers and weavers," mumbled Pyrrha, frowning deep in thought. "But it would not explain why Jaune hasn't. And it would be completely unheard of."

"Maybe he didn't _want_ to kill me?" Ruby offered shyly, and everyone turned to stare at her with a raised eyebrow. "I-I mean, Ozpin did say he was somewhat reluctant to hurt me back during Beacon's Initiation, remember?"

"Maybe it's because he only had you as company for fifteen years, and he grew attached to you?" Blake thought out loud before cringing. "No, I don't think that's the case. It sounds odd even just to think it. Saying it out loud just sounds ridiculous."

"Why? Just because he's a Nightmare?" Again, everyone stared at her. That was _exactly_ the reason, and a perfectly good one at that. "If that's it, then Jaune is right, that's racism!"

"Ruby, please, you must understand that Nightmares are literally humanoid Grimm with human intelligence," Pyrrha stepped in, looking down at the much shorter redhead. "They might seem nice. They might even actually _be_ nice. But eventually, deep down, when it comes to what they really are, they are evil. They do not get attached by bonds of friendship. He could be reluctant to harm you because he might think it's interesting to interact with you, but they are inherently inhuman. They may feel emotions, but the heart that holds them is as cold as stone."

"Wow, such a great view of us you have…" Pyrrha and Yang whipped around and were met by the sight of Jaune rubbing the right side of his chin where Yang had hit him. "Past minute or so is blurry. What the heck happened? And why do I feel like Yang punched me?"

"Because she did," Blake stated bluntly.

"Okay. What did I do to deserve such undeserved punishment?"

"You tried to attack Ruby and, from the looks of it, _kill_ her," replied Weiss, making him stop in surprise.

"I did?"

"Let me explain this only once," stated the white-haired girl. "We were interrogating you about why you told us about those Demonic Lunas. You tried not to answer, so Ruby had the very clever idea of using Remnant's oldest method of dealing with rebel children." The sarcasm in her voice was so thick even Ruby picked up on it, and promptly blushed three different shades of red. Scarlet on her forehead, crimson on her cheeks and magenta the rest of her face. "That is, the full name treatment."

Jaune stiffened.

Weiss's eyes narrowed as she struck true. "You told us your reasons and then went wild. Pyrrha stopped you and Yang knocked you out. You looked like you were being mind-controlled or something. Is it what really happened?"

The Nightmare growled from the back of his throat and fixed his scathing glare on Ruby. With everyone nearby and ready to fight, though, he seemed to understand just how outmatched he was.

"I suggest you answer truthfully and immediately on your own, or we'll just have to force you," continued the Schnee heiress, emphasising the word 'force' with narrowing eyes. "And I doubt you would enjoy that."

He growled, a low, long sound that vibrated in his throat. "Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes that's what happened."

"Jaune, why were you so angry?" Ruby spoke up, stepping beside Weiss. Blake tried to shush her by bringing a finger to her lips, signalling to keep silent, but the younger redhead just kept talking. "I mean, I get that being mind-controlled is horrible, but I didn't-"

"Just shut up and let's go," snarled the Nightmare, shoving her aside as he stomped past her.

Yang bristled and grabbed his shoulder, squeezing hard. "Hey, that's my sister. If you have a problem-"

"You'll probably mind-control it out of me, so that your little Nightmare pet won't give you problems," spat the Demon, eyes almost glowing as he held Yang's heated glare. "Won't you? Besides, Nightmares are just humanoid Grimm. Robbing them of their free will and shoving them down to a level not even animals reach, it's all fine as long as you keep telling yourself I'm just a monster and not a person, isn't it? Everything is justified, after all what rights does a Nightmare have?"

Jaune briefly used his Corrupted Rose to turn into withered black rose petals, freeing himself from Yang's hand, and reappeared just a few inches away. His clothes too disappeared from Ruby and reformed over his body, proving his earlier point. "Let's just get this over with. It's not like the Relic will bring us back to life if we die here of old age."

He turned and stomped ahead, exiting the small cave to enter a narrow, brick-walled corridor that led on into darkness.

The girls exchanged a glance, concerned and feeling guilty. Despite Nightmares legally having no rights, they all -to different levels- thought of Jaune as a person. His point still stood – he had feelings, opinions, and a human-like mind. Threatening him with further mind control hadn't been nice and they knew it, but harsh times for harsh methods, and the topic had been way too important to allow it to just slip away.

Ruby bit her lip and ran after him as soon as she put her still wet clothes back on, shortly after followed by the others. Without any immediate danger to face, the cloaked Huntborn caught up with the angry Nightmare within a few seconds, both due to her innate speed and her Lunas. "Jaune! Wait up please!"

His only response was to walk faster.

"Jaune! I'm sorry, I didn't know! I didn't mean to control you!" Her apologies fell to deaf ears. "I'm sorry, I won't do that ag-"

"Spare yourself the lies," snapped the Demon, fixing her with a glare almost as scathing as Yang's. "You can promise all you want, it doesn't matter. Give up absolute control over a Demon you're forced to travel with? It'd be too good for you to just give up. You're saying that just to try and make me relax so that I will give you all less problems."

"No, that's not it!" Ruby wanted to say he was her friend, but even with her social awkwardness she knew that would've been a _very_ bad idea. Her vision went white and she ducked under a lit torch, only then noting the torches lining the walls at shoulder-level. Which was face-level for someone as short as she was. "Jaune, please, I don't want to manipulate you! I just want to be your friend!"

"Friend? You _do_ understand just how ridiculous that is, right?" he mocked her mercilessly, speeding up even more, heedless to the fact the two of them were leaving the others behind with their fast pace. "You're a human, I'm a Nightmare. You're my captivator, I'm a slave. I don't see how that could ever happen."

"I'm not your captivator!"

"Aren't you? Ozpin was really clear about that. I serve or I die. If I try to flee you're all going to kill me. It's a lose-lose situation for me, and a win-win for you. I don't see how that can be anything but slavery," he countered with venom, almost spitting the word 'Ozpin'. "And the only thing I get out of this, is a few more months of life -as a slave, but life- instead of dying by his hand."

"That's not true!" retorted Ruby. "If we do this, you'll be free!"

"Just how naive are you? _He_ may not hunt me down as soon as I'm no more useless, and he may even persecute the ones who do, but I know -and he knows too- that there is no freedom for a Nightmare in a world ruled by humans. People hate my kind with a passion. Against the laws or not, someone's bound to have enough of a grudge and kill me, no matter how much of a hero Ozpin claims me to be." His words struck her hard, making her flinch and bump into a torch, dislocating it and making it fall. Her hand shot out at the last second and caught it before it could hit the ground, placing it back into its holder as she refused to meet his eyes. "Honestly, I am in the worst position I could possibly be."

"Isn't that a bit exaggerated?" Ruby asked, wincing lightly and hoping not to have stepped on a landmine.

She had.

"Oh really? You think so? Wanna know just how much fucked up my life currently is?" Jaune drawled sarcastically. "Let me sum it up for you. First, I live fifteen years imprisoned in a jewel. Watching as life passed without being able to live it, metaphorically speaking watching it from behind an unbreakable window. I had to withstand years and years of _you_ , from when you were a baby to your teenage drama years. Then, as soon as I break free, I do so in a place full of people who'd like nothing more than to see what colours my entrails are – and I blame that decision of mine to being imprisoned for so long. I get offered a deal that will either way end with my death, and I have to accept working as a slave. I have to work with five annoying people who think of this as a nice vacation to Vacuo's beaches, and _now_ , on top of _all_ of that, those five people found out that the reason why Nightmares kill their Forgers, Bearers and Weavers is because those people have partial control over them. And since _you_ are all three of them combined, you have _total_ control over me as long as you say my full name first. Now, am I exaggerating or not?"

Ruby stayed silent, eyes downcast and fists tightly closed at her sides.

"Thought so," grumbled the Demon, turning to leave her behind. The corridor took a sharp turn to the left, torches still lining both walls, but he couldn't see its end. His quick steps echoed slightly against the old and cracked stone tiles that made up the floor, sounds bouncing back at him from the stone walls. Small patches of moss and tiny leafed plants grew between the cracks of the rock, giving the corridor an aged look.

"Jaune Luna Arc, from this moment on I have no control whatsoever over you."

The words made him halt dead in his tracks. He slowly turned around to look at the speaker, the same redhead he had thought had given up on the topic. Her hands were still curled into fists by her sides, but now she was glaring defiantly at him, silver fire blazing in her eyes. "W-What?"

"Jaune Luna Arc, I renounce to all the power I once had over you. You. Are. Free. Get it? I have no power over you. Even saying your full name is not gonna work." Ruby's gaze didn't waver, and her voice didn't stammer, both hitting him with the force of a sledgehammer. The others' steps were growing closer, but they still weren't in sight, leaving the human and the Nightmare to stare at each other, one in silvery determination, the other in pure shock.

"…what?" Jaune murmured again, so softly Ruby understood only by reading his lips. "Why?"

"Because I want to be your friend," she replied easily, no second motives hidden in her eyes, and no other intention in her voice. "And because you hated being controlled. And since you didn't believe me, I proved it to you that I don't want to control you any more. You're free."

Jaune continued to stare at her until their companions' footsteps weren't about to turn the corner. Snapping out of his trance, he ducked his head and walked off at a brisk pace, clearly embarrassed about something. Confused by his sudden chance in behaviour, Ruby ran after him almost immediately after her friends appeared from behind the corner.

"Hey, Ruby, wait up!" Yang called out before all four of them broke into a run to try and keep up with the speedster of their group. "What's with all this running?!"

Ruby winced and looked over her shoulder at the others, still not slowing down. "Sorry, I was talking with Jaune!" she called back, her voice mixing with the booming sounds of her combat boots slamming against the stone floor at every step. "Besides, it shouldn't be too far n-"

She couldn't finish her sentence as she bodily crashed into Jaune who, in turn, crashed into the wall he had stopped in front of. Solid stone bricks met Dusk and flesh as the two fifteen-year-old of different races collided with the cold, hard truth of the wall. Ruby scrambled to her feet and shook her head to clear it, managing to shake off the tiny corgis running around her vision. "Owie. Uhhh… guys? We have a problem. A pretty big one too."

"What's the problem?" Yang yelled back before the four of them -with Weiss out of breath- skidded to a stop in front of her. They took a second to appraise the situation and take in their surroundings -dazed Nightmare included in the furniture-, before they realized what it was.

A dead end.

"That's impossible!" exclaimed Weiss. "There is only _one_ way here. This-" Everyone stared at her when she cut herself off. After a second of silence, she scoffed, disgusted. "Of course… there must be some sort of secret passage. It _is_ the Relic of Treason…"

"How do we find that?" asked Pyrrha. "Isn't a secret door supposed to be secret?"

"Allow me," sighed Blake, stepping forward. Jaune, who regained his bearings too by then, stepped aside as the cat Faunus began to feel every brick of the wall. "Let's just say that due to some past experiences, I've become pretty good at stealth and spotting secret passages. Though by secret passage, I usually mean air vents and such."

"Past experiences?" Weiss inquired, suspiciously. "I hope you're not implying you were part of the White Fang."

"Actually yes. Remember what I told you back in Initiation, about the three branches the Fang has split into? I am an official member of the White Fang, the peaceful one, and for a time I was a member of the War Fang. I left when the Blood Fang was created by a suitor of mine, a man named Adam Taurus. He tried to convince me to remain, but the only thing he did was to show me that violence is never the right answer. So I left the War Fang and I went back to the White Fang."

"That's just so complicated…" groaned Ruby. "Here they go again with all these fangs…"

"So you were a terrorist?" Weiss asked, eyes narrowing as Blake took a second to reply.

"Not exactly. We did hijack cargoes and we did cause damage, but our goal was never to bring fear. We just wanted to show that the Faunus may be peaceful, but we won't take persecution without fighting back. The Blood Fang is what you're referring to," explained the black-haired girl. She stopped searching for a secret door and lowered her head. "I… I am ashamed of what I've done, I confess it. But sometimes violence must be the way. Hadn't the Faunus fought back against persecution, we would've been brought to extinction."

Just then, her hand grazed one of the bricks, an old piece of stone covered in moss and cracks, and inadvertently pushed it back, something normal bricks weren't supposed to do. The dead end slid aside soundlessly, as if the ages hadn't left any sign on it.

Stepping inside, the six of them couldn't help but be a little shocked.

They had all been expecting dinginess and gloom. Maybe bleak walls of stone bricks cracked by age and infested by moss and plants, or even earthy walls. They had been expecting the Relic to be kept upon a wooden or stone pedestal, derelict and decrepit, rusted and covered in dust. They had expected torches or the earlier glowing mushrooms to be the room's sources of illumination. As it turned out, they had all been expecting the wrong thing.

The hall was huge. At least sixty feet wide and more than twice as long, it was sparkly clean and cured, so much they felt filthy as they stepped in. Large columns carved out of white marble supported an arched ceiling littered with glowing Dust crystals of all colours, lighting the room with rainbows. The floor was composed of pure platinum tiles as large as they were, each picturing scenes of knights doing various actions such as fighting, duelling and riding. A soft-looking golden carpet lead the way from the door they had entered from up to the other end of the hall. Huge tapestries hung from the walls, depicting scenes of knights around a circular table with a crowned knight standing up to talk.

Suits of armours lined the walls, hidden in the shadows of the columns, but all their attention was focused on the other end of the hall. Sitting on a giant throne made of gold and adorned with precious gems, there was a suit of armour like they'd never seen before. Made entirely out of platinum and adorned with golden accents along the rims of the plates, it was adorned by carvings in ancient languages too small for them to see from such a distance, and tiny green gems, probably emeralds. Held across its lap there was a huge sword made out of silver with a golden hilt adorned with large emeralds, measuring more than six feet in length. A tall helm with a Y-like opening for the face completed the armour, and standing on it there was the most majestic crown they'd ever seen. Gold intertwined with silvery platinum to create an ivy-like motif, accentuated by the silver leaf pattern. Small and large emeralds adorned its nine spikes, but the frontal one only held a large diamond so pure they could barely look at it without being blinded.

Feeling intimidated by such grandeur, they silently stepped forwards, heedless to the door behind them sliding closed without a sound. They advanced until they were standing in the middle of the hall.

"Where do you think is the Relic?" Ruby asked in a whisper. The sound was soft, but it seemed so loud as it reverberated within the hall, like a wind rustling through the tapestries.

A soft noise of metal sliding against metal was all the warning they received before the giant suit of armour on the throne stood up, its empty eyeslit showing them no person was inside. Its gauntleted right hand took hold of the greatsword's handle, lifting it with an ease that was just impossible.

" **New visitors in my humble abode. You are welcome, strangers. I am King Mordred, ruler of this land. Now kneel and show your respect.** "

"I'm not gonna disobey that thing," mumbled Jaune, immediately going down on one knee and lowering his gaze to the floor.

The others imitated him. As much as they itched to get the Relic and get out of there, none of them wanted to fight unnecessary fights, especially against beings with such ancient and reverberating voices. It reminded them of the Golem's voice at the entrance of the temple for its deepness and for the power hidden within.

They were ready to fight, but they chose to take the path of wisdom instead of the path of hurry.

" **Why have you come to me, strangers? It has been long, so long since I last had visitors.** " They didn't need proof to know that. Only Nightmares could've reached that place, and even then no Nightmare would've ever had a reason to explore so deeply into the jungle. " **Even those pitiful peasants hiding at the entrance aren't able of coming here, denying me the servants a King deserves.** "

"Wait, there's another entrance in a nearby city?!" Yang exclaimed in shock, immediately getting shushed by Weiss and Blake.

" **Not a city, or I would've known, but some minor settlement with people coming and going. Still a good start for my kingdom in terms of citizens. No one ever used the main entrance. Not since I became King.** " Fortunately, the suit of armour, self-named Mordred, didn't take offence in the sudden interruption – or maybe it was revelling the chance of explaining. " **But now you have, and as such I will grant you the right to speak freely. Now, answer me, why have you come to me through such a challenging path?** "

Weiss grabbed Yang and Ruby and forcefully held them down on their knees while she stood up to face the King. "Your Majesty, we were not aware of the existence of a secondary entrance, or we would've tried to access your kingdom through it. Forgive our ignorance, I beg you." When the armour nodded with a soft sound of sliding metal, Weiss let out a silent sigh of relief. Apologizing and submitting was not something she liked doing, but both were a good way to get in the King's good graces before questioning him about their goal. "I cannot say we came here looking for you, Your Majesty, as we were not aware of your kingdom either. We came to retrieve an artefact of the ancient times, a Relic from the past ages, when Remnant was still whole. We-"

" **The Relic of Treason.** "

They all froze. The hatred and frost in Mordred's voice was enough of an indication of what he thought of their goal. The hall seemed to grow colder and the suit of armour seemed to grow darker, even if it was just their imagination.

"Y-Yes, we-" Weiss tried to continue, to salvage the situation, but it was all for nothing.

" **You cannot have it. I have gained it through hard-earned victories and I will never give it to you,** " stated the King, almost roaring the words. " **And you think I will consign it to you without the fiercest of fights?!** "

Shrugging off Weiss's hands, Yang and Ruby stood up, alongside Blake and Jaune. "We don't want to fight, but we will _have_ to. We cannot leave this place without the Relic!" Ruby shouted as everyone placed their hands on their weapons.

" **You have no idea of what the Relic costed me. You won't have it.** "

"And what did it cost you?" Yang yelled as well, deploying her gauntlets. "It was here since the breaking of Remnant! You just took it from this place!"

" **I did not take the Relic from its original place. My previous king found it so long ago, and ignorant to its true powers, chose to wear it as his crown.** " All eyes immediately went to the beautifully adorned crown sitting on his helm. " **But peace did not last long. I was more deserving of the title of King, and I told him as much. He called me a traitor and he chased me away from my brothers, who all sided with him. And so, I chose to show him my might and take the crown for myself. This is how I came to possess the Relic, foolish mortals. I returned here only after I was mortally wounded – because here I am immortal and invincible forever. And I will forever be king, as I deserve!** "

Ruby didn't know whether the Relic had corrupted Mordred or his former king, or both, but it didn't matter in the end. There was a detail she hadn't failed to pick up on. It wasn't something she was really expecting to work, but hope was the last to die, or so they said. "King Mordred, your kingdom is empty and devoid of life. Is this what you want? Empty halls and silence? The Relic has only cursed you to be damned forever! It is evil, and I think you know it!"

" **I do indeed, and that is why I won't surrender it. With me, its evil will won't corrupt the world, and no one will ever use its power again. As for my kingdom…** " The knight gave a rumbling chuckle that shook them all to the bone as it echoed in the marble hall. " **I do have servants, loyal knights bound to me for all eternity. Knights that will answer my call now and forever.** "

The king raised his free left hand, and the gauntlet glowed black for a second. Then, to their great horror, metallic clangs resounded in the hall as all the armours formerly lining the walls marched forth to join their king in battle. There weren't too many of them, but all of them were empty – lacking any vital organ and as such, possibly immortal like Mordred.

It was going to be a tough fight.

 ** _Now, Ruby's choice to free Jaune will be addressed more later on. It's just that I feel like Ruby would be as impulsive as to do something like that without thinking of the long-term consequences. It is going to be addressed as soon as the others get wind of it._**

 ** _Now, no Mordred is not inspired by the Servant in Fate Stay/Night. I'm not even in that fandom nor I have watched it/played it. So no saying I'm referencing it._**

 ** _Initially, this chapter should've also contained them taking the Relic, but then I would've had to cut part of the talk with Jaune about his freedom, and that's too important character-development-wise to cut. So I just decided to postpone the actual fight._**

 ** _Well... *looks around awkwardly* Nothing else to say, I guess. See you on the next update, read and review, usual stuff._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	10. Test of Endurance

**_Whoa, this chapter was a rush. Written it between yesterday and today, feels really good to get it done. Especially since I kind of left with a cliffhanger, heh._**

 ** _Anyway, news on my holiday, it's going really good, my sister and I are... getting along, which in sibling code means it's going great. Visited the surroundings, she convinced me to buy some more elegant clothes and kind of convinced me to get a haircut (which I hate, but I do have to admit my hair is worse than a tangled nest of vipers). Tomorrow we go see a necropolis, and Friday I go back to Ireland._**

The situation wasn't good. It wasn't good at all.

The suits of armour were a dozen or so in number, not counting Mordred itself of course, all of them possibly unliving entities they couldn't slay in any way. It was true they all wielded old weapons that were not guns nor had any kind of special mechashift mechanism, but a weapon was still a weapon even if it wasn't a fancy multi-tool gadget.

Myrtenaster also wasn't a weapon made for fighting empty armours. Weiss preferred precision over strength, but against such opponents, there were no vital spot to hit, leaving her to try and fight her opponents with a huge disadvantage. She could've used the Dust in her weapon, combined with some of her Lunas, of course, but she usually needed space to fight, and the cramped battlefield was not the space she needed.

"Yang, take on Mordred!" Jaune called out, his greatsword forming from smoke in his hands. "And punch him as hard as you can!"

"No!" Ruby immediately counter-ordered. "Pyrrha, keep Mordred busy until we can gang up on him! Yang, you try to destroy as many armours as you can!"

The blonde brawler didn't waste time listening to her sister and tried to charge right in, when Weiss grabbed her arm.

 _'If it wasn't for me…'_

"You dunce, you can't charge a shield formation! We have to break their line first!" she berated her when she allowed the heiress to pull her back. The formation, with Mordred right in the middle, took a step forward in perfect coordination. "You would've just gotten yourself in danger!"

"Well, how to we do this then, if I can't trash them?" huffed Yang, glaring at the heiress for ruining her fun. Despite her displeasure, though, she stayed where she was, not daring to charge again. The formation of shields moved again.

"I got an idea," offered Jaune, removing his right hand from Désespoir and holding it up as if he were holding a cup. A sphere of a blue so dark it looked black formed hovering over his palm. "I throw this, you charge in right after. Just watch out 'cause it's gonna explode."

"If we need firepower, I got it," Yang protested, slamming her gauntlets together, but nonetheless she prepared herself.

"You got firepower? I got more," grinned Jaune, throwing the sphere at the armours, where it exploded with a bright flash of light. Yang charged in at the rattled shields and knocked a couple aside before letting loose on her foes. "And now everyone, have fun!"

Everyone darted forth, and Weiss was the first to arrive. Unable to strike the armour with a shield between them, she chose to use her Glyph Luna -which was actually a combination of different Glyph Lunas- to force the armour back. Unfortunately, that did nothing to make it lower its guard, and she had to quickly dodge the oncoming sword slash that threatened to cut her in two. She had Aura, so she wouldn't have actually been cut in two, but it still never hurt to conserve Aura.

The others' first charge hadn't gone much better. Despite the hooked shape of Crescent Rose, a shield was still very difficult to bypass, especially when used in formation. Blake wasn't having better luck, either, being unable to use her Shadow Luna to move behind her opponent, and Jaune's swings were easily parried and countered by the armours.

At least Yang was having a fun time.

Blunt force wasn't totally stopped by shields and armours, and given her incredible strength and Lunas, she was the perfect bulldozer for the job. It was true, success was still far away, but she was at least doing something.

Pyrrha had no such trouble, and Weiss wouldn't have expected anything less. The girl was a prodigy, a champion, someone who could've already taken the final exams and pass with flying colours. Her skill reflected on her actions as she deftly dodged all her foes' attacks and aimed straight for Mordred. There was a frown on her face as she charged the former king's empty armour.

Weiss could definitely relate. While Pyrrha still possessed great physical strength, her fighting style was one based on speed, agility and precision, not brute strength like Yang.

Her current opponent's sword cutting the air mere inches away from her shoulder tore her from her thoughts and made her focus on the task at hand. Her rapier was next to useless in this fight, having no real target to strike. Had she been able to just crush the armours like Yang did…

Wait…

She _could_ do that.

Jumping back to dodge another strike, she flicked Myrtenaster's Dust chamber and switched to Earth Dust before using a Glyph Luna to propel her opponent, sending it crashing against the ones behind it.

Yes, she could definitely work with that. With a rapid flick of her wrist, her rapier's Dust shot a brown ray into the tiled pavement, which cracked as several spikes of rock the size of a human shot up from the ground and impaled the armours in their paths.

 _'No Aura… good,'_ smiled the Schnee heiress. _'My Mana is still good, my Aura still full… they stand no chance.'_

She took a second to observe how her comrades were doing. Jaune wasn't making any progress, but he wasn't losing ground either. His sword clanged against the empty knights', but the Nightmare seemed to be able to avoid the hits. On his face, though, there was an emotion she wasn't expecting. There was no malice, no excitement, no adrenaline. The Demon's gaze was full of determination… and fear.

Taking her eyes away from him, Weiss used her Wind Force Luna to push herself away from the armours that were standing up again from her earlier attack. The rocky spikes had only pinned them temporarily, unable to killing unliving beings. Myrtenaster swung again, and a wall of ice appeared in front of her before she sank her weapon into it and shattered it, sending the shards at the armours. It didn't do much, unfortunately, but it gave her the time to step closer to Yang, the one who was having the easier time of them all.

Ruby was engaging three foes at the same time but even then her weapon wasn't made for pure destruction of objects like Yang's brute strength. The girl apparently wasn't strong enough to push aside the enemies' weapons, or maybe the animated armours were just really strong, so the girl had to use every ounce of speed and agility in her body to avoid being hit, and striking the armours.

Off to the side Blake, who had tried to take the formation from the right, was struggling against three more knights, her blade having the exact same problem as Ruby's. It was indeed lethal against Grimm and human enemies, but animated objects couldn't just have their brains pierced, so the black-haired warrior couldn't exactly just aim for the head.

Yang was more or less having the time of her life. She took a hit or two, and Weiss noted how even she groaned from the pain -another point to her theory regarding the armours' strength- but otherwise she crushed and bent the steel cheerfully. It didn't _kill_ the knights, but at least it left them unable to fight any more, something as good as dead when it came to that particular battle.

Pyrrha seemed to be having trouble. Not because of skill, she was faster and lighter than Mordred without being frail like Weiss – though the girl would never admit out loud to be frail. The problem resided more in the fact that even the strongest of shield bash didn't affect the king, and not in the way Myrtenaster couldn't impale an armour, but rather as if the strike's entire kinetic force had just been erased. It was like watching a fly try to strike down a mountain… with more or less the same results as well.

Finally, Ruby seemed to get lucky, and managed to use the blunt end of Crescent Rose to force a knight's greave away from the rest, leaving the empty armour unbalanced and making it fall to the ground.

One of hers down. Two more to go.

"Dammit, we need Yang to take care of these," mumbled Weiss as Blake joined the trio, escaping from a particularly vicious sword strike of one of the knights. "We need to dismantle them…"

"Or pit them against each other!" Jaune's very cheerful voice spoke up as he jumped away from his two opponents – which were now fighting among themselves. "Never thought Dark Corruption would work on non-humans!"

On normal conditions, Weiss would've facepalmed. As it was, she had to admit the Nightmare had a point. Why fight themselves if they could make them fight against each other? "I thought you said you were a weak Nightmare," Weiss pointed out, but it was more of curiosity than actual bite. He had actually done well, for once, and she wasn't gonna live up to her nickname by insulting him for doing his job right.

"Well, I am, but these guys are literally soulless and mindless. The only thing I had to influence is Mordred's control, and he's too busy with Pyrrha to really notice," shrugged the boy. "Dark Corruption wouldn't be so effective otherwise. Only an extremely powerful Nightmare could make allies fight among themselves. Still, we could make them all fight among themselves!"

"This is so fun~" Yang's sing-song voice rang out as a knight flew over their heads, probably launched by the fiery brawler's punches, and crashed into the ground.

"Or we could leave it to Yang," Blake smirked at everyone's deadpan. "Since she's doing such a good job at it."

"Okay, leave the knights to Yang, we gotta help Pyrrha with Mordred!" Ruby ordered quickly, disengaging from the armour she had been previously fighting.

Weiss turned to evaluate Pyrrha's situation, and found it was going poorly for the redhead. Mordred moved at a speed that should've been impossible given his armour, parrying attacks only when he intended to throw Pyrrha off-balance and follow up, otherwise just allowing all her hits to bounce off his platinum plates – something that should've been impossible as platinum wasn't a hard metal if compared to iron and steel.

" **Surrender, and I shall allow you to live,** " Mordred's ancient voice reverberated within his empty armour. Immediately afterwards, Pyrrha had to jump back from a two-handed swing of the huge greatsword. " **You have my word!** "

"Plans?" she inquired as she landed beside Weiss, not a drop of sweat on her athletic body, but strain was the last thing on their minds at the moment. "Everything seems ineffective. Even brute strength is not fazing it in the slightest."

"I got an idea," Ruby spoke up as Pyrrha ran back in to engage Mordred, keeping him away from the others. "This is the Relic of Treason. Like with the Guardian, we have to think like traitors and liars. Are you following me?"

"The back," Blake replied immediately. "Another name for treason is backstabbing. Maybe we have to hit his back?"

"That's what I thought too!" nodded Ruby, darting to the side to try and find an opening for the King's back.

With a huff, Weiss ran after her to aid her in the task. "You two, help Pyrrha keep him busy!" she called back to Blake and Jaune, both of which nodded. "And don't give us away!"

Weiss reached Ruby a second later, joining her in her hiding place behind one of the pillars and continued to observe the fight.

The empty knights had turned out to be the easy part of the fight, and Yang was quickly cleaning up the battle, with dozens of pieces of armour scattered all across the floor and a mad grin on her face. She was covered in sweat, but she seemed to be enjoying herself. The same could not be said for the others.

Pyrrha, Blake and Jaune were trying their best, she had to give them that, but all their efforts seemed absolutely useless. Just as she looked, the black-haired girl managed to create an opening for the other two. Jaune's greatsword rang uselessly against Mordred's chestplate, while Miló vainly pierced the helm's visor. All teens jumped back when Mordred just ignored the hits and swung again, missing Jaune by the breadth of a hair.

The situation wasn't the best, yeah.

"Should we go now?" Ruby asked in a whisper.

"Not yet," Weiss replied quickly, placing a hand on her shoulder just in case the young reaper decided to attack anyway. "We need to attack so that your attack and their own is contemporary. If we attack now, he'll probably just turn and swat you aside. Prepare yourself, though."

Weiss's eyes narrowed as Jaune ducked under a slash while Blake jumped over it, landing on the boy's shoulders and using him as jumping platform to leap higher. The Nightmare recovered from the sudden weight very quickly and tried to sweep low with his greatsword while Pyrrha offered herself as target for the apparently invincible armour. "Now."

Ruby shot off immediately and crossed the distance in a blur of rose petals, swinging her scythe with as much strength as she could muster, hoping for her sprint to do the rest. At the same time, Jaune's greatsword caught Mordred's left kneecap, and Blake drove her katana into the King's visor. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl for Weiss as the blade of the scythe made contact with the armour back of the empty knight.

And harmlessly bounced off.

Ruby stepped back as the knight chuckled heartily. " **You thought you just had to attack me from behind, Soul Reaper.** " The massive suit of armour towered over them all, turning to face the young reaper. " **You thought that just attacking me from behind would make it a betrayal? How laughable. This is not treason.** "

Not treason? If backstabbing was not it, then what could account as treason? They were obviously enemies, and an enemy attacking another enemy didn't count as betrayal as they were on opposites sides. Did that mean one of them had to turn on the others? No, she was certain Mordred wouldn't fall for such underhanded tricks. Maybe they'd have to use one of the knights Jaune turned on the others? Again, it only worked as long as Mordred wasn't focused on them, so it was not an option.

 _"Uhh… your darkness? The reason why Demons hunt you? The Gift of Salem? The Blood of Remnant?"_

 _"We aren't like that, our darkness is what we are."_

 _"Four relics of the ancient times will be scattered upon the land."_

Weiss's eyes widened before they narrowed again as the fight resumed, still hidden behind the marble pillar that supported the ceiling of the throne hall. She was certain the solution was somewhere in those lines.

The Blood of Remnant… darkness… what Nightmares were made of. _'So, in a way, Nightmares and Grimm are part of Remnant itself… but the entity as a whole, not the planet. The Blood will heal the Body… and the Relics are part of the Body…'_

"Weiss, a little help here would be greatly appreciated!" Jaune's voice calling her name made her dare another look at the situation, and it didn't look good at all. No one had been hit yet, but it was clear that Mordred was just untouchable. Even as she watched, the former King was keeping everyone at bay with wide swings of his greatsword, which he wielded like it was weightless, clear proof of his enormous strength.

"I am thinking!" she snapped back. Fighting was easy, but it was also useless at the moment, so they were the ones who were being useless! She understood that they couldn't all stop and think – but that's what she was there for! She was the brains of their little ragtag group. Ruby might look like she was their leader, but in fact without Weiss's logic and organization skills the whole group would've fallen apart.

Okay, maybe that was exaggerating a little, but still she was by far the most intelligent of their group, and as such she was going to find a way. That was how she was helping them!

 _'Okay, I came to the conclusion that Nightmares are part of Remnant, just like Relics. Ugh, I already knew this! What does having a great mind matter if then I cannot find a solution! It's just like back at the entrance!'_

Wait…

Back at the entrance, Ruby had found a solution because she had thought in terms of smartness instead of knowledge. At the bridges, Yang had used mental sharpness to find out which bridge was the right one – even though Weiss hadn't appreciated the pun. So she just had to connect the dots. The answer _was_ within those lines, but she would never reach it by adding them up neatly. She had to think how those lines fit in the situation.

"Weiss, seriously, it's getting a bit out of hand… and Mordred's not even a good conversationalist!"

She tuned out Jaune's second call and the sounds of combat that thundered in the hall and concentrated. Even with Yang taking care of the knights, it was only a matter of how much longer they could keep Mordred busy. _'Both Nightmares and Relics are part of Remnant. So they are… on the same side! So the only one able to kill Mordred is… ugh, Jaune. That's so going to feed his ego much more than we need, but if it's the only way, it's the only way.'_

"Jaune, come here now! I need you!" she called for the Demon, peeking out from behind the column. The battle was a standstill – that meant her allies had completely given up offence and only focused on not getting halved by the huge greatsword wielded by the King.

"Here?! Now?!"

"Yes!"

"Of all the damn fetishes you could've had-"

"Not like that, pervert!" she yelled back at him, feeling her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. _'Not here, not now, not ever!'_ she promised herself, grossed out. "I have a plan!"

The Nightmare gladly took the chance to get out of the fight and bolted to her hiding place, skidding to a halt beside her not three seconds later. "Okay, what do you do?"

"It's not me, it's you, dunce," she berated him, but she was wearing a satisfied smirk. "It's simple. You have to hit him from behind. We've seen that from the front, you still do nothing. But a backstabbing from another creature of Remnant…"

"Okay, I get that you hate me, but serious your plan is 'Jaune, go piss off the giant dude that's kicking all our asses at the moment'? That sucks." Her frosty glare made him hesitate to continue his mockery. His eyes danced between the heiress and the knight. "If I do this, we're going on a date."

"Not in a thousand years, Arc."

"Yikes, don't say I didn't try to get to know you better, now I better go before I get frostbite!" winced the Nightmare rushing off to find another pillar where to hide, preferably far away from her. Preferably for her, of course.

The heiress sighed before darting out of cover and using her Dust Channelling Luna to shoot a stream of fire at Mordred via her rapier. She idly wondered if Dust could be counted as part of Remnant -and thus able to harm him- but even then she would've had to hit his back, not his helmet.

On the good side, he was now focused on her instead of her tired comrades.

On the bad side, that wasn't really a good thing. She was still fresh, having only fought briefly at the start before leaving the knights to Yang, but the armour before her showed no signs of fatigue – something he was probably immune from, having no muscles to be sore nor brain to be tired.

She caught a flash of dark blue passing behind Mordred, and she quickly trained her eyes on the suit of armour as it brought down a greatsword that was taller than she was. Skillfully dodging to the side, she used a Propeller Glyph to jump over the sword and lead the King away from her companions, something they really appreciated, if Blake's exhausted nod and Ruby's thumbs-up were anything to go by. Pyrrha wasn't showing the strain, but even the champion couldn't fight such an overwhelming opponent for long before starting to tire.

 _'If only they hadn't had to spend so much energy to dodge…'_ she thought bitterly as she dived to the side, avoiding Mordred's sword as it carved a clean path through the marble floor with terrifying ease. The Knight didn't seem fazed by having yet to land a hit on any of them, probably because they too had yet to do any damage to him. _'If only Mordred weren't so strong…'_

A glance back told her that Jaune was in position, with a large black sphere of glowing energy in one hand – the same one he had used against the lesser knights, she noted. She caught his nod, and promptly used her Speed Luna to bolt out of the way as fast as she could.

Not a moment too soon. The Nightmare's sphere impacted against the King's back, and another explosion burst out in a flash of white light, though _much_ larger than the one he used against the lesser knights. Large enough to destroy part of the floor and kick up a huge cloud of dust and debris.

Jaune coughed as he waved a hand in front of him to clear the air. "Wow, I didn't think I'd _disintegrate_ him, though I _did_ put all my Mana into it. Let's hope the Relic's alright," he grinned, cheerful despite the dust now smeared on his face.

" **The Relic is intact.** " From the dust, the huge figure of Mordred stood up from the hole in the ground.

"Jaune, watch out!" Blake exclaimed, but it was far too late. The Nightmare brought up Désespoir to parry the backhand, but the sheer force of the hit was enough to send him flying, Désespoir flying from his hand and into the mess of armour pieces that were once the empty knights. Weiss winced as the boy crashed into and _through_ a marble pillar, and then into the tapestried wall, leaving a large indent in the marble behind the cloth.

The boy's body fell to the ground without a word, sign he had been knocked out by the hit, but he didn't disintegrate – a sign he was still alive.

Weiss released a sigh of relief before catching herself. Her eyes narrowed and she turned to Mordred, trying to find out what had gone wrong. Unconsciously, she also stepped to the left until she had put herself between Mordred and the fallen Nightmare.

 _'It's logical,'_ she told herself once she realized her actions. _'If he dies, the mission fails. It's only natural we have to protect him – no matter how annoying he is.'_

To her great relief, she could see that Mordred had been heavily hurt by the attack. Both shoulderguards were now absent alongside three of the chestplates and his left bracer. The back of the armour was bent and burned, that meant the attack had actually harmed the King. It just hadn't done enough damage.

And their Nightmare was out of Mana and out of the fight.

" **I told you to surrender, and I will give you one more chance. I do believe in changes of heart. Stop fighting, and I shall spare you. You are of no use to me if you are dead,** " spoke the giant armour of platinum. " **You would become my heralds, my flag bearers. You can either accept, or you can try to fight me, and die.** "

Weiss gripped Myrtenaster harder. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ruby mumbling something to herself before her face lit up. If she had a plan, the Weiss would be very happy to hear it, because she had none. Surrender wasn't an option, but without Jaune, neither was offence. For all her intelligence, Weiss Schnee couldn't find a solution.

If Ruby had one, then the most she could do was to buy her time until she could enact her plan. She stepped closer to the King, despite wanting to run away with all her soul. "Your Majesty, despite having to fight you, I respect you. And I hope you respect us as well." She took a deep breath and fixed her glare on the empty visor. "If so, then why are you lying to us?"

" **Lying? I speak no lie, Warrior Queen,** " replied the King. " **The powers of the Relic may influence me, but they do not control me.** "

"You said you would make us your heralds, Your Majesty – yet you've just proven that you already have servants in your kingdom," continued the heiress, keeping her eyes fixed on Mordred even as a blur of red darted behind the knight. "Why would you need us? Why not send your servants? This is what makes me think you are trying to deceive us, Your Majesty."

" **You speak the truth, but you do not know everything, Warrior Queen. I cannot reach beyond my kingdom without living servants to do so in my stead. But do not think I have not noticed your own deceit, my lady.** " Weiss tensed up as the knight raised the huge sword and stepped forwards. She involuntarily took a step back. " **I know that only the Blood of Remnant can enter the Temple of the Relic, and I know the only reason humans and Nightmares could work together is for the Healing of Remnant. If I kill the Nightmare, you won't take the Relic because you won't be able to carry it like it could be done in the ancient times. You were trying to give your comrades time, but now it ends. You cannot stop my sword, and you cannot save the Dark Light. It ends here, Warrior Queen.** "

Weiss didn't know if she was more afraid of the huge sword raised in the air, ready to kill both her and the Nightmare behind her, or the absolute calm at which those words were spoken. Nevertheless, she summoned a force shield and braced herself for the impact.

An impact that never came.

"Yang, now!"

Weiss winced at the harsh sound of metal screeching against metal before the sound of metal clattering to the ground was heard. When the blow still didn't come, she dared to open her eyes, and she was met with a sight she would've never expected.

Yang Xiao Long, one of the most annoying girls she had ever met, stood behind the former King, eyes crimson and hair aflame, a current of hot air billowing around her from the sheer heat. On her lips stood a triumphant smirk as she used every ounce her Mirror Damage Luna's power to finish off the Knight. Weiss's eyes followed her extended arms until they reached a familiar dark blue hilt.

Désespoir.

Which was, technically speaking, still part of Jaune.

Weiss waited with trepidation as the giant armour clattered to the ground. The empty helmet tumbled over her, and she kicked it away in a show of pettiness she rarely revelled in. Or at least that was what she thought. With no magic to keep it up, the chestplate too fell to the ground, almost dragging Yang with it, but she released the sword at the last second.

The blonde and the whitehead stared at each other for a second before the former broke out in a victorious howl of laughter. "Whooooohooo! We did it! We got the first Relic!"

Weiss smiled, she actually smiled, at her antics. She'd let it slide for once, as the girl had earned the right to brag and be annoying after saving her life. Speaking of lives, she turned around to look at the still unconscious Nightmare and sighed without any real disappointment. Despite how infuriating he could be, he too had actually done his job right for once.

She knelt beside the blond Demon and gently shook him awake.

"No, Mom, no cookies no Rubies…" he mumbled in his sleep, a sentence that made everyone freeze and look at him. Weiss shook him again. "Ruby's not home…"

"Oh my god he's mimicking Ruby when she has to get up!" Yang burst out laughing, much to said redhead's embarrassment. "He must've learned from her!"

Weiss rolled her eyes and shook him harder. "Wake up, Arc, we have a Relic to take."

"Uh?" Blue eyes cracked open and took in their surroundings. "Uhh… nope. No pretty girl around, no wakefulness needed."

Weiss felt her eye twitch. "Moron, get up."

"Ugh, no pretty girls but meanies… life's so cruel…" Jaune opened his eyes fully and sat up straight. "I feel like shit after said shit's been crushed with a car bench…"

"You got bitch-slapped by the King," chuckled Yang, still trying and failing to reign her laughter in.

The Nightmare shook his head and slowly got up. "Okay, so we won?"

"We did… no thanks to you," huffed Weiss, feeling all her previous empathy for the boy disappear like morning mist under the desert sun. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, you helped, but we won even without you."

The Nightmare shrugged and walked over to the collapsed armour, winking at Yang before leaning in with a conspirational look. "I think she hates my guts."

"I thought you said you're all Dusk," she shot back without missing a beat.

"Ugh, just woken up and everyone's against me. Well, let's make my day better." Jaune leaned down and swooped up the crown from the fallen helm. With a grin, he briskly waltzed over to the throne and jumped on it before turning to the others and placing the crown on his head.

"I'm the King of the castle, I'm the King of the castle~"

Yang and Ruby snickered while Blake and Pyrrha looked amused by his antics. Weiss, unfortunately, didn't feel like sharing their mirth. "Okay Jaune, that's enough. Get down from that throne and remove that crown."

"No."

"What?!"

"No. I'm King and I this is my kingdom! Guards!" He looked at Ruby and Yang. "Arrest her!"

Weiss's eye twitched again as her comrades snickered once more. Sometimes she hated her companions, and sometimes she _really_ hated them.

 ** _I made this whole chapter one single PoV, Weiss's. I could've used Jaune's since it's been a while since we last got a Jaune PoV. I was tempted to make it a Ruby PoV because again it's been a while. I wanted to make Blake or Yang too, but Weiss offered way more to add to the story, including her train of thoughts._**

 ** _Possible pairings for this story, currently, are KnightShade, WhiteKnight, or Lancaster. Or any combination of these three. I'm honestly still not thinking about that part of the story._**

 ** _So, one big fighting scene without much actual fighting. Two reasons. One, I find fighting scenes boring when there is no plot nor banter nor anything. Two, it was from Weiss's PoV, and she was the worst equipped to deal with those armours, so the fight wouldn't have been great either way._**

 ** _Now, Jaune's Mana. Mana is magic energy, so Nightmares and humans use the same Mana, unlike Dusk and Aura. Jaune's new Luna is Dark Matter. He basically creates a miniscule, invisible to the naked eye, particle of antimatter and uses Dusk to prevent it from making contact with matter, so when it does strike something a process of annihilation takes place and releases energy, creating an explosion._**

 ** _Moral of the chapter: if you can't kill them, blow their limbs off so they can't move to attack you._**

 ** _Also, 5k words, I'm getting better! ;)_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	11. Blood Fang

**_Hey everyone! I know, I know, mindblow. I say I'm tired, then I post again after two days. Well I still am tired, and the nightmares aren't getting better, but today I woke up 2 hours earlier than usual and managed to rest those two hours, so it was marginally better. And thus, here is the chapter. Much longer AN at the end._**

 ** _Oh, also, for the pairing, Lancaster won. Barely. MirrorMage was like 1 vote lower. WhiteKnight and KnightShade got 0 votes each. Though the romance will come later._**

Huntlord Medeis Ozpin waited patiently as his laptop connected him to the CCT, and then to Atlas. He was sitting in his favourite room in all of the Ozpin Stronghold, the building that had for a short while become Beacon Academy. The room was located on the very top of the highest tower, and the morning light filtered through the huge glass window behind his back, which gave him more than enough light to read or type without needing the artificial light.

The man brought his mug of coffee to his lips and savoured the drink, so sweet yet with a bitter aftertaste. He liked to compare its taste to the taste of victory against the Grimm. The sweetness of triumph, slightly marred by the bitterness of the knowledge that, no matter what, the Grimm would always come back.

He allowed himself a small smile.

Maybe not for long. True, he did not know whether the group had managed to arrived to the first Relic, he didn't even know if they were still alive or not, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that he'd managed to send someone. And what could be done once could be done multiple times, if necessary.

 _Beeeeeep_.

Finally the call got through.

 _"Huntlord Ozpin, a pleasure to see you again."_

"Likewise, Huntlord Ironwood," Ozpin nodded in acknowledgement. "I hope you've been well since last time I heard from you."

 _"I'm as healthy as can be, Ozpin. I hope you are the same."_

"Health-wise, I am, though with the Beacon Project's failure, I can't say the same for my reputation. Nine Hunter trainees didn't even survive Initiation."

 _"I told you you were being extreme, Ozpin."_

"You did… and now children have paid the price of my unwillingness to listen."

On the other end of the call, Huntlord Ironwood sighed deeply. _"Do not blame yourself for everything. You did warn them. What you should be concerned about at the moment, is Vale's safety."_

"I know what you're trying to do, Ironwood, and my answer is still no." Ozpin shook himself and glared at the screen. "It is indeed true that Beacon has fallen, but we do not need Atlas's help. Nine trainees might've been a very high price to pay, but we still have Hunters. More than enough."

 _"The failure of the Beacon Project might've caused quite the negativity in-"_

"Yes, people were less than happy about it, but the resulting increase in Grimm activity is far from being threatening," Ozpin stated firmly. "Besides, Atlas too needs its Hunters, doesn't it?"

 _"We do, but we could've still helped. It doesn't matter in the end. And even if this negativity of yours were to persist for too long, I'm sure the Vytal Festival will raise the morale and beat back the Grimm."_ Ironwood paused for a few seconds before sighing. _"And… Winter has asked me to inquire about her sister Weiss's health and current position, as she did not return to Schnee Manor after Beacon officially closed."_

"I'm afraid that is something I couldn't disclose even if I knew. As it is, I do not know either of those answers. I can only hope she's safe and sound." Technically not a lie. While he had sent them on a quest around the world, and he had suggested for them to start from Vale, he didn't know where they were or how they were faring, even though those exact two questions continuously plagued his mind.

 _"You can't help us at all?"_ At his subdued head-shake, Ironwood sighed once again. _"I hoped to at least reassure Winter, but it seems that is now impossible."_

"I am truly sorry. I will try to get in contact with young Ms Schnee as soon as I can." His main reason would be to check up on them all and to learn how the mission was going, but it wouldn't hurt to tell Ms Schnee about her sister's worry for her. Maybe that would remind everyone of them to call their families to explain where they went. While Taiyang and Summer had been dealt with by Qrow, the same couldn't be said for Ms Nikos's, Ms Schnee's, and Ms Belladonna's families.

 _"Thank you. I'm sure Winter will appreciate your kindness."_ Ironwood checked his Scroll and sadly shook his head. _"I have to go now. The Council won't step down by itself, I suppose."_

"You're still trying to turn Atlas into a monarchy?" Ozpin asked curiously. It was true his old friend believed that a single person in command would've been able to take decisions much faster than fifty or so, but last he'd heard he wasn't close to any breakthrough.

 _"Yes Ozpin, I will always fight for what's best for my Kingdom. Alas, I'm afraid it will still take a while, despite all the great steps I've made thus far. But as I said, now I have to go. It was nice seeing you again, Oz."_

"Likewise, James, likewise."

/-/

Jaune stared at his sleeping companions as he thought, Weiss being the one on guard at the moment. The boy could feel her gaze digging into his back perfectly well, and graciously ignored it. After all, she had just rejected his honest and innocent date, so he felt perfectly justified ignoring her.

That, and he wouldn't have cared either way.

It was almost time to get up – approximately, of course, as they had no way to know what time it actually was. All the others were sleeping peacefully, dreaming whatever humans dreamed of in their sleep. There were no negative emotions coming from them, and for that he was both thankful and disappointed.

Disappointed because he wouldn't be able to feel their negativity, obviously.

Thankful because that meant they would be in a good mood in the morning, and as such they'd be kinder to him as well. While he couldn't feel positive emotions, he knew the kinder they were to him, the better the mission would go, the less Grimm they'd attract, and so the less probable it was for him to die.

He frowned at his own cold logic, then shrugged slightly. Oh well, it wasn't like he could do anything about it. Either he allowed negative emotions to overpower him, or he used emotionless logic. There was no third choice and no in-between.

His gaze shifted slightly and landed on Ruby specifically. He wanted to scoff or laugh at how naive and trustful the girl was, but all that came out was a sad sigh. She truly believed he could be a good person, throwing aside what he was.

The others knew it wasn't possible, though they chalked it off as his own choice.

He didn't care if they were wrong. There was no choice to begin with, so they could think whatever they wanted and it wouldn't change anything.

Ruby was different. He wanted to repay her faith, if anything because it'd keep him safer from the others' ire, but it wasn't like he could force his body and soul to feel positive emotions. Sure he could fake positive emotions, but that would get really tiring after a while, and in the end it'd be just another lie. And for what? Making Ruby happy? It wasn't worth it. He didn't have anything to gain from that.

And besides, it wasn't like he actually _had_ no emotions, just that he didn't _feel_ the positive ones. He could be rationally aware of being happy or satisfied, just that he wasn't affected by it and showing it was a conscious effort, as opposite to negative emotions. So, in a way, he had already proved Ruby right, he did have positive emotions.

Kind of.

True, negativity was the only thing that made him feel something, so he sought it like a thirsty man in a desert sought water, but it wasn't like…

 _Sigh_.

Who was he trying to convince? Positivity was emptiness for him, and he hated emptiness. Ruby was wrong, period. Nightmares couldn't be good people, if negativity tempted them so much. Better feel bad than feel nothing at all.

He saw a movement out of the corner of his eyes, and sighed in exasperation. Of course Nikos had to get up first, be a morning person, and all that.

Irritation flared and, for the first time in the night, chased away all that emptiness.

Well, maybe Nikos had her uses after all.

Soon enough, the whole group was awake and ready to go. Much to everyone's amusement, Ruby repeated the very same lines Jaune had said when waking up, minus the pretty or meanie girls part. After a quick breakfast -during which a wild food-stealing contest had taken place, with Yang coming out the winner- the six of them were ready for a whole day of walking…

"We are getting nowhere…" Ruby lamented as the group continued to advance in the semi-dark cave illuminated by those weird yellow mushrooms. "It's days we're walking!"

…well, most of them were, anyway.

"It's barely been four hours, Ruby," Blake corrected with an amused smirk as the two shortest of the group and the tallest all grumbled about sore feet. "But don't worry, Mordred said there's a settlement on the other side of this cave, so we'll be able to rest there."

"And get truly geared up," grumbled Jaune, hopping on one foot while he massaged the other before repeating the process with the former. "We're buying some better clothes, hardier clothes not fancy stuff. At least we'll have spare ones and we won't end up like Ruby-in-the-river. Because I'm not lending any of you my clothes."

"Why not, are we-" Yang never got to finish her tease.

"Because I'd much rather have you all in wet clothes or even better your underwear around me," grinned the Nightmare, laughing at them when they all stopped in shock. "Oh Salem your faces are priceless. Makes me wish I had a Scroll to take a pic!"

Everyone, Ruby included, glared at him. "Sorry, sorry! True, I'd much rather see Ruby in her underwear than Ice Queen given what she's packing, but the actual reason is more because she's my Bearer. She's more or less used to my Dusk, so I can maintain it on her without too much of an effort – it's basically what I did for fifteen years. You all aren't and as such, can't do that."

"Then why didn't your sword disappear from Yang's hands when she used it against Mordred?" Weiss inquired sceptically.

"Because while Désespoir _is_ made of my Dusk, it's a Luna, not part of my body. I mean, Blake can create clones of herself, but it's not like she uses her literal soul to create them. For my clothes, I do." Jaune shrugged. "I know, it sounds weird, but that's how it is. Also, because otherwise whenever something hit my sword, I'd feel the hit and my Aura would go down because of that."

"That does make marginally more sense, but then why not make clothes like that too?" Weiss inquired further.

"Well, that's because I don't know the appropriate Luna. Some Nightmares can, I guess, but I don't. Otherwise I'd have a big-ass full armour on!" Jaune's smile was wiped off his face in an instant. "Uhh… not to be a killjoy or whatever, but I feel negativity coming from further up ahead. Not a lot of it but that might just be because I'm too far."

"How much of it?" asked Pyrrha, frowning. "It is not uncommon for people to have some negativity."

"Not enough to cause a Grimm incursion from what I can feel, but more than it should be normal," shrugged Jaune, wondering why they were asking the one who _wasn't_ a Hunter for details on village negativity. "Just enough to increase the number of Grimm around, but not by that much."

"We should hurry to help them, then!" exclaimed Ruby, forgetting about her sore feet – much to Weiss's and Jaune's chagrin, who weren't feeling nearly as enthusiastic. "Who knows, maybe we'll get a discount or something!"

"That… is actually a good idea," the white-haired heiress admitted after a second of consideration. "We could need it. We didn't exactly take a lot of money with us."

"Can't we let them sort it out by themselves? If it's this much out in the wilds, that village should be used to Grimm," Jaune offered, without mentioning the real reason for being against the idea. His sore feet. "Then we wouldn't even need to fight!"

"A Nightmare that doesn't want to fight?" Weiss looked at him with playful contempt. "That's unique."

"Ha ha ha, I'm dying of laughters," grumbled the Demon, crossing his arms. "Fine, let's rush in and get me killed. Usually villages like these have Virtuous, you know? Once the Grimm are cleared out, my Dusk will stand out like a lit match."

"We'll say we are escorting you somewhere," shrugged Yang. "I mean, Pyrrha Nikos, Weiss Schnee, and Blake Belladonna? They're gonna fall on their knees and scramble over each other just to offer their services to them."

Jaune sighed. "Ugh, fine… just let's get this over with."

/-/

Ruby rarely felt the need to curse her luck, but for once, she really felt like her luck could go to Salem.

A village? Ha, very funny. A settlement? More or less. A place where they would find people? That's for sure, though it was the type of people that had her angry, exasperated, and more than a little scared.

The black and white uniforms with a wolf's head in red on them were a dead giveaway, as were the plain grey masks that covered their eyes and upper face. Also the guns and swords each of them had helped her realize who they were. The many large tents just outside the cave's entrance, the dozens of crates scattered around, the hastily-built wooden wall and the 'rooms' made from smaller lateral caves, separated by curtains of cloth only cemented that belief.

But Blood Fang here of all places? Sure, it must've been distant from the cities… but there was no reason for them to be exactly here!

"Well, what's up guys?" Jaune asked, stepping forwards with his greatsword already in hand. "Let's just fight."

"They don't have Aura, Jaune, or at least most of them don't," Blake explained painfully, lowering her weapon to the ground as the others slowly followed her example. "We'd be killing them…"

"Better them than us! Come on, le-" Jaune was interrupted when over twenty guns were pointed his way. "…Are you seriously leaving me alone in a gunfight? Against almost two dozens people? …You suck guys."

"Put your weapon down, and your hands behind your head!" ordered one of the Blood Fang grunts, waving her gun at Jaune.

The Nightmare let out a long-suffering sigh and his sword vanished into smoke before he held his hands against the back of his head. "Here. Happy now? Can we go now? We already aren't in the best of moods."

"Stop talking or a bad mood will be the least of your problems!" barked the same Blood Fang woman. With hood up and mask on, the only thing they could see of her was her beige-coloured skin of neck and lower half of her face. "You, take their weapons! And you, handcuff them! They look like Hunters, so use the Aura/Mana-binding ones."

"Yes ma'am!"

The Blood Fang grunts that handcuffed them weren't kind, but they weren't purposefully rude either. The Aura cuffs weren't actual cuffs, just collars they attached to their necks. Jaune was _obviously_ itching to make a comment on animals and collars, but a swift kick in the shin from Blake -and probably some shards of survival instincts- made him swallow it down. The woman who shackled her was also kind of shaking, so Ruby supposed they weren't the only ones who hadn't expected the meeting.

"Ma'am, we got a Schnee!"

And the kindness went out of the window.

"What?!" roared the chick who, apparently, was the leader of their little group. She stomped over to Weiss who, to tell the truth, was dirty enough to not being immediately recognized. Alas, the symbol of the Schnees as well as a close-up observation gave her away as quickly as Ruby with her Semblance. "You cursed hellspawn!"

"Are you gonna drag her away?" Jaune asked, hopeful.

"Jaune!" Ruby scolded him. "It's not the time for jokes!"

"Shut up little girl!" exclaimed the Blood Fang woman before turning to Jaune. "Just because you don't like her like we don't, it doesn't mean you will be freed, human."

"Nah, wasn't expecting that. I was just happy to get rid of her. She's been on my ass ever since we started travelling, the prime and proper little Ice Queen." Jaune scoffed in disgust. Weiss tried to protest in outrage, but a slap from the woman shut her up, as well as fuelled their collective anger. "I know you probably have to bring her to your superiors or something but honestly, if you kept quiet and killed her here it'd be even better."

"Jaune!" Ruby repeated, shocked he'd say something like that.

"I said shut up!" the woman roared again before returning to look at Jaune. "I couldn't agree more, human. I-"

"But not now, not so quickly!" Jaune interrupted her with a grin. "I mean, I've only _heard_ of what the Schnees did to the Faunus, so a quick death would just be merciful instead of deserved. I know you should be the ones choosing, but may I suggest a method?"

The woman nodded warily.

"Burn her. Alive. That'd be fun to watch, long, painful, and also symbolic as fire is the symbol of purification." Ruby couldn't believe Jaune was managing to suggest burning their friend alive with such a careless voice. "Besides, we are all Auraless and weaponless. A single man guarding us will be more than enough. I mean, come on, since when are Hunters trained how to fight without Aura, against people with weapons?"

"That's true," she acknowledged, seemingly having forgotten about his -apparently- human nature. "But why would you help us like that, human?"

"To get rid of a Schnee. I mean, they have the monopoly of the Dust trade, it should be time they disappear and leave the trade for others who want to trade Dust. Plus they are just money-avid, cruel people who wouldn't hesitate to hurt other people for their gain. What else would I need to help you?"

Ruby couldn't believe her eyes. Yes, she knew Jaune was a Nightmare, but that? That was beyond anything she had ever thought him able to do. Betraying a friend like that? And suggesting she were to be burned alive? That…

Was that his real nature?

A black hole opened up in her stomach. Had she been so completely wrong, so blinded by her naivety that she had failed to see his inner evilness? Had he been acting all the time?

He… he seemed genuine…

Then again, Yang had always told her she was overly trustful and naive.

As the Blood Fang grunts dragged a terrified Weiss away, others pushed them into one of the side caves, which acted as temporary prison for them. Ruby's body hit the stone floor hard, but she barely seemed to mind as the others tumbled down beside her. Four of the guards then left, leaving the last one with a rifle aimed straight at them.

Had Jaune been right when he'd said they weren't, and never would be, friends? That the idea of a human and a Nightmare being friends was simply ridiculous?

"Lay down." The Blood Fang grunt's voice woke her from her trance, and she looked up just in time to see Jaune, who was being glared at by just about everyone in the room, standing right in front of the rifle, the barrel touching his forehead.

"Okay, quick question, where's the bathroom?" Jaune asked, ignoring the obvious threat.

"Nowhere."

"Okay, where can I pee?"

"Nowhere."

"Such a great conversationalist you are, aren't you?" Jaune scoffed and stepped back, throwing his hands in the air. The man instinctively glanced up to keep track of his hands, and that was his undoing. Jaune's smile turned into a snarl as the Demon hit the man with a nutcracker shot, making him double in pain. The boy swatted the rifle out of his hands before grabbing his head and turning it a good one-eighty around, breaking his neck and killing him instantly. "Oh well, nothing like murder to keep you happy."

Jaune then reached up and, under their shocked eyes, gripped the collar as a black glow appeared around his hands. With a grunt, he snapped it in half and threw it on the ground.

Ruby was mindblogged.

How did he do that? Those were Aura/Mana collars, they couldn't be broken so easily. The only way for him to be able to do that would be to infuse Aura into his hands to strengthen them, but the collars prevented just that.

Or not?

Ruby almost wanted to smack herself.

They stopped Aura, but what about Dusk? Jaune did say they were different.

"Jaune! Free us!" she whispered excitedly. She could see it now! Jaune had suggested arson because he knew it'd take time for them to gather the wood and light it, giving _them_ time to free themselves and save Weiss! They'd still have to fight the Blood Fang but going off from the expressions on Yang's, Blake's and Pyrrha's faces, that wouldn't be that much of a problem any more. Each of them seemed angry enough to kill all those Faunus.

All her excited died an ugly death when he turned to smile sadly at her. "Sorry Ruby. I guess you were wrong after all. _They_ were right."

Ruby opened her mouth to say something, to appeal to their friendship, _anything_ , but nothing came out. She felt like something was choking her, a heavy pressure lodged in her throat. Her eyes stung and burned a bit, and she realized was on the verge of tears.

Tears for what?

Tears for Jaune's betrayal? Was she really that surprised a Demon who had time and again denied to be a good person, had eventually given her proof of his words and abandoned them?

Or were those tears for them? For Weiss, who awaited her death, for them, who probably wouldn't face any different fate, though maybe quicker? Five teenagers not even adults yet, who had gotten themselves into something bigger than they were?

Eventually, she didn't know.

Maybe it was best she didn't.

/-/

Jaune was almost overwhelmed by the negativity as he turned to leave. His former companions and the Blood Fang were more than enough to affect him a lot.

But nothing could affect him more than Ruby.

Even without seeing her, he could feel the affect his words and his actions had on her. He didn't have doubts, but even if he had had any, that would've been the final proof that she indeed thought he could be a good person – or at least not a bad one.

Shattering that belief might've hurt, but it was eventually for the best. His best, of course, as they probably wouldn't make it out of there at all.

The thought hurt him a little more.

He ignored it. He was a Nightmare, a corrupted and twisted version of a human. Negativity might've been unpleasant, but it was less unpleasant than emptiness, and with that group there had been way too much emptiness. Positivity was something no Nightmare looked for, as it was utterly useless. Eventually, even altruistic people were altruistic because it made them feel good, or right. But if someone couldn't feel that, how could they be altruistic?

Jaune almost shook his head. Why was he back at that? Nightmares were evil. It was something everyone knew, Nightmares themselves more than anyone! Did Beowolves ever reconsidered their actions? No! He was a Demon just like them!

His hands clenched and he stepped forwards, away from the group he'd known for just a week, and away from the emptiness.

The thought of Ruby forced itself into his mind again. If she was so certain, maybe there was some chance for-

No.

He wouldn't go down that path. There lied only disappointment and sadness.

He hated it, but he couldn't rebel to his own nature. Not then, not ever. How was he even supposed to? Could a scorpion become a pebble, or an Ursa turn into a bear? No, they couldn't. He didn't feel positivity, he never did and never would. There was only emptiness, and he _loathed_ emptiness.

He hated the pain, the sufferance, the sadness, the hatred he was forced to endure because _others_ felt it, but he hated it much less than feeling nothing at all. Than feeling no different than a pebble watching plants grow and live.

But most of all he hated humans.

They had the choice to live happy, to be always happy all thorough their lives, and yet they wasted so much time dwelling and swimming into negativity, complaining when that very negativity drew hordes of negativity-crazy Grimm to them. Better feel nothing but negativity than becoming like them, hypocrites imbeciles who created and perpetuated the bane of their own existence.

Ruby would never be like that though…

He chased the thought away.

And neither was Yang as she was, for all her anger, a caring person.

He forced himself to step away from them.

Nor Blake who, while quiet, was often positive or neutral in her thoughts.

He clenched his fists tighter.

Even Weiss, for all her ice and 'manners', sought positivity.

His hands began to tremble.

Salem smite her, but even Nikos, the girl he hated most of them, was not a continuous pit of rolling and boiling hatred like he was.

He was the human one in their group. He was the hypocrite who hated negativity and complained about it, yet never had the courage to chase it away in fear of the emptiness. Was he being the cowardly hypocrite one? Complaining about his problems, yet never doing anything in fear of failure and whatever that would bring. Hating humans for generating negativity, yet preferring negativity over emptiness anyway, and being himself the largest source of negativity around.

But that was the only way. There was no other way he could possibly be. Had Remnant been more merciful, it could've given Nightmares the ability to feel positive emotions, but Remnant had needed soldiers no questions asked, not more humans with different powers.

He took another step and raised his hand to move the curtain aside. His hand was trembling.

Where would he even go?

In a shithole of a world like Remnant, there was no place for a Nightmare who wasn't interested in dying.

Also, could he really take on the Blood Fang all on his own?

He wasn't so sure. If he were to get the others' help though…

His nails bit into his palms. No. No, he didn't need nor want them.

Then why were his feet turning around, making him face the ones he was so ready to abandon?

He didn't care about Nikos's heated glare. Salem could take her, and he'd sing a hymn in her honour. Blake's scowl didn't affect him in any way. And while he was kinda scared of Yang's fury and hateful slash murderous glower, he still didn't really care. It was Ruby, who wasn't even looking at him, eyes downcast and probably crying, the only one who made the negativity so unpleasant.

Why? He had felt hatred and sadness many times from others, why was she different? Did he really care that much about someone giving him a chance? No, that couldn't be. There _was_ no chance to begin with.

He always hated negativity, but why was betraying them all, her especially, making emptiness seem better than negativity?

He blamed it on his messed up mind.

With a sigh, he pushed Yang away from Ruby and gripped her collar, channelling his Dusk into his hands like he'd done barely a minute prior. With a metallic _crack_ , the fastening snapped and the collar split in two, freeing her Aura and her Mana once again.

In the silence that followed, he was sure even thinking would've been heard.

And an instant later, all and any negativity he might've felt was overwhelmed by pure emptiness, and he barely contained a grimace. He could guess why it happened, and when a split second later Ruby crashed into him, hugging him with a strength he might've associated to Yang but never to the smaller girl, his guess was confirmed.

How could one single girl be positive enough to drown out dozens of people's negativity?!

"You came back for us," she said into his shirt, face pressed against his lower chest – which might've caused him discomfort, had he been human, as she was pressing more or less where humans had their solar plexus.

Jaune was tempted to let out a long-suffering sigh and scoff, but it came out more of a fond sigh. Maybe it was the lack of air Ruby was putting him through with her hug. He definitely blamed it on that.

"You freed me, I freed you. Debt repaid," was all the snark he could come up with, which was honestly pathetic, but that still saved him from answering questions on why. Which would still come, but maybe delayed long enough for him to come up with a reasonable excuse. "Besides, I'd be killed if I try to run away now."

He kept telling himself that. To tell the truth for once, he wasn't sure who he was lying to. To them, or to himself?

He was still exactly the same as before. Negativity still made him feel, and positivity still only brought him emptiness. He still hated both, and he still hated emptiness more than anything else. Honestly, he also still hated humans, especially Nikos. He didn't really know why, he liked antagonizing her.

As Ruby slowly released him from the hug, he decided that maybe, just maybe, emptiness was better than Ruby's pain, though.

 ** _This is not romance, mind me. Jaune is extremely confused and is just trying to decide whether feeling like shit is better or worse than not feeling at all. And now, I'm sure there are a lot of stuff I need to address._**

 ** _So, one of the real reasons why Demons never try the peaceful way. They cannot feel positive emotions (they can rationally know they are 'happy', but it does not bring them any true happiness), but they can feel negative ones. Which is why they are so attracted to 'evil'. Grimm aren't even rational, and Nightmares aren't really like humans. They are human Grimm, basically._**

 ** _And we now see that Jaune is way more similar to canon Jaune than we thought. If he could, he'd try to feel positive as often as he could, but he just isn't able to._**

 ** _Now, Aura and Mana. A reviewer expressed confusion as to why I separated the two._**

 ** _Well, let me explain. In canon, Semblances drain Aura, yet it all felt very messed up as we never knew just how much Aura did they take. Ruby could drag a Giant Nevermore up a cliff with little to no problem, even after receiving a hit from the Deathstalker's pincer, yet dragging Penny for ten metres made her so tired? Sure, she was aided by Weiss's Glyphs and her rifle's recoil in the first example, but still it doesn't really add up._**

 ** _Also, Weiss. She seems never to lose Aura even though we see she doesn't have much of it, and she continually uses her Semblance in fights. Tai told Yang she relied on her Semblance too much, but Weiss is more or less useless without it, given what kind of weapon she wields. Blake too continually uses her clones to dodge. True, making a clone probably 'costed' less than taking the hit, but still then why could she make so many clones without running out of Aura? Also, at the Fall of Beacon, she gets her Aura depleted and is stabbed by Adam, yet then she uses her Semblance to run away with Yang. With depleted Aura. And in V4, during the fight with Tyrian, Qrow's Aura is depleted, then Ruby steps in, then Qrow's Semblance acts up. Again when his Aura is depleted. Sure it might be passive, but it should still run on Aura, or it'd be usable even with Aura locked._**

 ** _So does Semblances really run on Aura? It doesn't really seem so. More like they tire them out._**

 ** _So in here, I turned Aura and Semblances into Aura and Lunas. Mana is exclusively what allows them to use Lunas (Semblances) and is drained independantly from Aura. Aura protects, heals, and physically enhance, but cannot allow them to use Lunas (Semblances)._**

 ** _Anyway, I ended with another cliffhanger, and now I'm going to... translate because I actually do have a translation job to do. True, I have 5 months, but still better to hurry up. Gives me more stars in the rating._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	12. Questions Without Answers

**_This chapter took around 85 attempts and 3 hours to upload. Doc Manager continued to be 'unable to authenticate the request'. I like this site, but when stuff like this happens, gods I want to strangle someone._**

 ** _Uhh... I'm counting 46 days since I last updated DR... Which is kind of embarrassing, and annoying for you, I know, but I have an explanation!_**

 ** _...damn it, I lost the explanation in the mess that is my room._**

 ** _Okay, fine! I went off to read a few fics and a few turned into a couple hundreds of fics. Now stop looking at me and just read the chapter..._**

"Blood Fang running around to prepare the pyre aside, the coast is clear," Jaune reported with a perfectly straight face, hands intertwined behind his back and standing tall like a military officer.

The huge bruise that covered half of his face and the fact he was kinda limping with his right leg only partially ruined the picture.

Out of the four girls in front of him, one smiled wryly at him, the other four glared at him. Oh well, one out of four wasn't half bad after the stunt he'd pulled. Though seriously, he was a Nightmare, what were they expecting?!

…Not that Ruby'd been wrong saying he wouldn't leave them, but that was totally not the point.

"Should we just go in guns blazing?" wondered their diminutive leader, pondering the matter for a second. All of them had gotten their weapons back since the Blood Fang was way too enthusiastic about over-sunburning a Schnee – not that they had taken his weapon in the first place, of course.

"Sure, why not?" shrugged the Demon. "I mean, they're just thugs. As long as you're okay with blowing their brains out, I say we do just that."

Aside from Nikos, they all looked squeamish at the thought. Which was a good thing, when they had to save the world and be goody-good heroines, less of a good thing when they had to escape a terrorist organization who did _not_ mind blowing their heads up.

At least he wouldn't hesitate to kill the Blood Fang. It sounded like a fun way to pass the time, as long as he wasn't the one getting shot at.

"Can't we try to subdue them?" Blake offered pleadingly. "I know they are criminals, but some of them are just desperate people who want equality…"

"Equality's not achieved by bombing schools just to prove 'the humans' that the Faunus shouldn't be underestimated," he countered with a shrug. "The way I see it, we kill as many of them as we can and make a run for it. No survivors if possible."

"Jaune!" Ruby whisper-yelled at him, shocked by such brutality.

Nikos glared at his Nightmare-ness but nodded. "No, I fear he's right. If we leave survivors, they will know who we are, and the Blood Fang will be after us – especially since we have Weiss with us. We can't handle a blood feud."

"Then we could turn them in to the authorities?" Ruby offered meekly.

Yang glanced at Nikos, who gave a miniscule shrug of denial, making her sigh. "Okay guys, if we gotta fight to kill, then let's get this over with as quickly as possible."

"I'll give you some advice," proposed Nikos, gesturing for them to huddle in a dark corner of the cave they had retrieved their weapons from – ignoring the fact all Blood Fang members were outside, chanting some sort of Faunus-based song while they worked. "The less you humanize them, the easier it'll be to fight them."

"Uhh… what?"

"Simplified a bit, if you think of them as objects or monsters instead of people, you won't feel guilty," Jaune dumbed it down a bit for the three confused girls. He wasn't familiar with the practice, but he'd heard of it through Ruby, and as opposite to the girl -who was five at the time- he'd actually been mature enough to understand it.

Blake grimaced while Yang and Ruby openly gaped. "What?!" Yang shouted in a whisper. "Think of them as monsters?!"

Jaune immediately pointed to Nikos. "Hey, blame her, I just translated. I'm all for thinking them people."

"Because you enjoy hurting people," Nikos glowered.

"Hey, it wasn't me the one who almost cut off the leg of the guy who had just freed her," he countered. "You enjoy hurting Nightmares just as much as I like hurting people – we don't feel guilt, we don't feel pity."

"Don't compare me to you," snapped the redhead, and if looks could kill, Jaune was sure he'd be Dusk in the wind by now.

"Okay, never though I'd say this, but break it up you two," Yang interrupted after a few tense seconds of staring, furious green into indifferent blue. "Weiss is in danger right now. We gotta help her, and we gotta do it soon or it'll be too late. Can we just choose a plan and go?"

"Blake, you know the Blood Fang better, what do you think?" Ruby asked, turning to face the black-haired girl.

Said girl sighed. "I hate to agree with Pyrrha and Jaune, but I fear they're right. Starting a blood feud with them is going to hinder us immensely – they would definitely invest a lot of resources in making us pay, or they'd look weak to the eyes of the people and they can't afford that. If we fight, we fight to kill."

 _'Sweet!'_ Jaune grinned widely.

All that being human was getting to him. Letting his inner Demon run free for a while was gonna be good… figuratively speaking, of course, since he couldn't feel _good_. He could already taste the adrenaline which, since it came not from the fight but from the kill, he could perfectly feel and love. Negative adrenaline. Had he been human, he'd laughed at himself for differentiating kinds of adrenaline. Being a Nightmare had effects on the psyche beyond mere emotions-feeling abilities. And of course he couldn't forget the pride of the kill, which would be welcome indeed.

"Jaune… can you not smile like you're enjoying the idea? It's… creepy…"

His smile fell and turned into a grimace. Of course Ruby wouldn't like it. Oh well, if it really was that important to her, he could just grin when she wouldn't see him. He shrugged his shoulders and summoned his twin swords. "Fine. But only if you stop looking like you're about to hurl at the idea."

It took her a bit more effort, but she managed to force a neutral frown on her face instead of the earlier grimace. Huh, he hadn't thought she'd actually do that. Ruby seemed the type never to let go of her 'goodness', not even by pretending the idea of taking lives didn't horrify her. He'd have to give her points for trying at least.

Apparently, he stared at her a second too many, because she blushed slightly and looked away. "It's not fair to ask you to mask your feelings and not be ready to do the same."

"True," he conceded with a nod. Not that he'd ever expect a human to be fair to a Nightmare – but it seemed that what he expected by humans never matched what Ruby would do. And it wasn't just the friendliness – they were forced to stick by his side, so being rude would only backfire on them. She seemed to go out of her way to be friends with him just like she did for the humans – and Faunus, though he didn't see much difference.

It wasn't nice.

It wasn't welcome.

It wasn't pleasant.

It was just damn confusing.

He pondered her behaviour while they crept out of the cave in a line, finally seeing how the preparations for the pyre were going – not good, since they didn't have enough wood close at hand and they were arguing on among themselves. Weiss was kneeling in the midst of it all, now looking more confused and annoyed than terrified. Typical amateur terrorists. They thought themselves all big and tough, and meanwhile the prisoners escaped because they were too busy using their three neurons to argue with their 'brothers in arms'.

"Now!" Blake hissed in a whisper – a whisper probably caught and ignored by all the BF members, since they were so busy. Not as much ignored were the four gunshots that rang out, hitting two members near Weiss, nor was the red blur that dashed in and grabbed said whitehead before dragging her back to the others.

"The prisoners escaped!" shouted the leader, the woman whose name he still hadn't caught – nor was interested in learning since he wouldn't be the one digging her grave.

The plan was simple and, in many others situations, he would've called it idiotic. Rush in and fight. However, they had no cover, and the numbers were against them. Their only chance was to take out as many as they could as quickly as they could, and then fight the rest.

All in all, Ruby wasn't a half bad strategist.

Jaune allowed them to go in first, both because he didn't want to be hit by any stray shot, and because he honestly didn't really care if they were dropped. He aimed the rifle he stole from the Blood Fang guarding them and fired – though could it even be called stolen, if the man was dead? Was it even actually his? Did he steal it from the Blood Fang? Was it fair to steal from thieves?

So many questions, so few answers.

Just like Ruby.

He couldn't help a little grin from reaching his face when his shot nailed a goon's shoulder, and a second later the left side of his head exploded as Nikos shot him. While the stolen rifle wasn't anything special, he knew Hunter weaponry could cause mass destruction among civilians since they were meant to pierce the thick hide of Grimm.

He turned a few degrees to shoot another woman in the leg, and no sooner than she had kneeled, a round from Nikos's rifle found out how soft her brains were. His grin grew a little more and he knelt to stabilize his aim as well as avoid the mostly chest-height shots that were running around. His next shot missed, but the one after that hit a man in the stomach. Then Nikos committed cold-blooded murder and killed his grin right off his face by dropping said man with a headshot.

Once Ruby's sort-of-uncle, Qrow Branwen, had told her something about being stalked. _Once is an accident. Twice is a suspicious coincidence, but a coincidence nonetheless. Thrice is a pattern._

Nikos was stealing his kills.

Purposefully.

He glanced in her direction and she barely spared him a glance -and a victorious smirk- before focusing back in the fight. If she wanted to get under his skin and grate on his Dusk-made nerves, then she was doing it bloody damn well.

He dropped the rifle and summoned Désespoir in its two-handed sword form, bringing it down just in time to deflect a hit from a thug before slashing her stomach open. He ran her through with his sword, but it had still been a fairly quick death. He must've grown soft, though in his defence the more he killed the less Nikos did.

Though… he had half an idea to just sit back and enjoy the fight. Negativity was impregnating the air, and he really wanted to know what kind of spawn such a union would give birth to. Maybe a bigger fight? Maybe Yang would kill Nikos? Salem that was a thought he'd save for when they stopped to sleep so that he could dream about it.

Ruby was fighting three thugs at the same time, and she seemed to be having difficulty doing so. While she was indeed very skilled, three versus one was hardly fair. She dodge and parried all the hits, but she was having trouble actually attacking with that giant farming tool of hers.

Blake seemed to be handling herself against two Blood Fang members, dodging and parrying blows gracefully with her katana, almost as if she were dancing. Which was just stupid, since Blake definitely didn't look like the fancy dance-y type of girl.

Yang was having the time of her life with her man, enough said because if he were to go on, he would never stop with the innuendoes. She had been rubbing off on him way too much… and that was nearly another innuendo.

Weiss was duelling with another Blood Fang, and frankly she seemed to have it under control. A second one was helping the first, but he was severely injured so Jaune didn't count him.

Nikos was showing off, he was sure of that. She was taking on five Blood Fang, including the leader, all on her own. Dodge, block, parry, deflect, lunge, slash, sidestep, assault, defence, Jaune thought it, she did it. She was a sight to behold… to anyone but him. He still wished Salem could smite her. He'd gladly take over her opponents if that were to happen.

With a shrug, he decided he'd just help Ruby. She was the one with the most opponents, second to Nikos but Jaune _obviously_ wouldn't help that redhead, and the youngest. It made sense he helped her first. Picking up the rifle he had dropped, he shot four times. Three missed, of which one by a good five feet, but one hit a woman in the chest, dropping her to the ground, either dead or dying.

Too bad that woman wasn't Nikos, but he'd take whatever he could get.

While that seemed to have helped, he still moved to aid the girl. Désespoir would sulk for a long time if it were only to kill one Blood Fang, and since it was part of him that meant _he_ would sulk too.

He was snapped out of his reverie when he heard a yelp of pain. Looking away from Ruby, he spotted Blake holding her left arm and backing away from her opponents – now three as one of Nikos's went behind her to take her by surprise. The black-haired girl was out of Aura, and a shallow cut on the arm like the one she was nursing could mean the difference between life and death in her situation.

With a sigh, he ran over to help. The one behind her saw him coming and raised her sword to block, but in doing so she allowed Blake to run her through from behind. One of her original opponents tried to take advantage of that, but Jaune merely continued with his charge and sliced his arm clean off, taking him out for good. The act seemed to have shocked the last one long enough for both Blake's pitch black katana and Jaune's dark blue two-handed sword to pierce his chest, dropping him dead.

"Go help Yang," he nudged her toward the other blonde of the group. "She's the strongest with the fewest opponents, so you won't need to do much."

She nodded and turned. Almost as an afterthought, she glanced at him from over her shoulder. "Take care." And with that, she was off.

Jaune frowned. Take care? What kind of stupid advice was that? Of course he'd take care, he didn't want to get himself killed.

Oh.

She had just meant it as a show of comradeship.

He shrugged. Load of bull crap if one asked him, but he'd go along with it if that's what it took to make his life easier. He turned and began to jog up to his initial allied target to help. He froze mid-step.

Ruby had just dealt with one of her opponents, if beheading could be considered dealing with someone and Jaune was pretty sure it could. However, it seemed like personally killing someone with her weapon and not just seeing them being killed by people, was more shocking than she'd thought. She'd seen people be shot in movies and games, while it made her sick and squeamish it didn't stop her. But killing one herself was something she was obviously and painfully unprepared for.

Jaune could feel shock, guilt, horror and fear permeate her being, shattering her focus for a crucial moment. A moment her opponent didn't waste.

Thankfully, Ruby seemed to have at least good enough instinctual reflexes to dodge the slash from the woman's sword, but it wasn't enough to stop the blade from cutting skin and flesh as it left a long, shocking-red line on her face, from the left side of her chin across her mouth and all the way to her right ear. He couldn't tell from the distance how deep it was, but it certainly hurt.

 _Shink_.

The sound of steel cutting through flesh didn't sound so nice any more.

Ruby screamed and dropped her weapon – a bad move, but who could blame her? Summer had always said that any wound more serious than a scratch was painfully debilitating and distracting even for a skilled warrior, and Ruby was just fifteen.

The woman tried to finish the job, but Ruby managed to duck under the blow, which was by itself a great feat, considering the pain she was in. In the distance, Yang screamed her sister's name.

Jaune barely heard her.

There was something in his chest. It wasn't emptiness, that much was certain. And it was something he'd never experienced before. Spite was a dark pit of roiling, coiling darkness made of a vile liquid, Dusk's natural form, though more of a feeling than an actual sensation. Anger was a boiling red-hot feeling that gave him power. Fear was a cowering, cowardly darkness hiding deep within his being.

This was something else entirely. It was dark, of that he was sure, but it was unmoving and silent, a still atmosphere that covered everything else in his being. The only way he could describe it was the calm before the storm.

Then the storm arrived.

Infusing more Dusk into his legs, he jumped and threw his sword. The woman easily deflected the poorly-aimed strike, but she wasn't ready to be tackled into the ground by the Demon. Nor did she expect him to grab her throat as if he wanted to strangle her.

Had he been in his right mind, he would've laughed. Oh, strangling her was the farthest thing from his mind.

He channelled his Mana through that savage darkness that raged inside him. The skin behind his fingers began to turn grey and crack like sun-dried earth. The woman's eyes went wide as her mouth opened in a silent scream, all her breath trapped by his grip on her neck. The dead area continued to spread over her face and down onto her body, hidden by her clothes. Semi-silent cracks and snaps signalled the death of more and more tissue, but it wasn't until all her body was covered in cracks that Jaune pushed deeper.

The woman had probably lost consciousness by then, maybe she'd even died from the sheer trauma of such pain. She didn't have Aura to protect herself from his lethal touch. He wouldn't have been able to tell anyway. Her face was far too gone to tell.

But he still pushed his power into her body, cracking it and killing everything it came in contact with, be it nerves, flesh or muscle.

A savage grin spread on his face as he finally understood what that dark storm inside of him was. Hatred. Pure hatred, undiluted by stupid human morals or any positivity. It wasn't like his spite for humans, hatred was much more… active. And powerful. He didn't know why it had come to him so suddenly, but what he knew was that he liked it and hated it at the same time. It gave him power, and it took away control. A dangerous emotion indeed, but thankfully one that was slowly fading away, like a hurricane at the end of its lifespan.

When her body finally turned to grey powder, he took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of death, before standing up and turning to check on Ruby.

Five shocked and horrified pairs of eyes stared back at him, Ruby's injury temporarily forgotten as the five girls stood shocked in the middle of what had once been the battlefield. It had taken him longer than he'd thought to kill that woman, apparently, because the others had disposed of the remaining Blood Fang quite nicely.

He met their gazes with his own indifferent one. "A kill is a kill no matter how it's done. True, I would've normally gone for a quicker method, but this one had it coming."

Predictably enough, and just as unfortunately, Nikos was the first to find words again. And they weren't kind ones. "W-What kind of a monster are you?!" she shouted, staring at the pile of dust and clothes that was once a person. "You… you… you…"

"I withered her, yes," he replied with a frown. "What, you can blow up head after head, but I can't turn someone into powder?"

"There's killing, and then there's… there's torture!" yelled the girl, annoying him to no end. Death was death, for a human. Stop. Body died, soul took a one-way trip to the Afterlife or whatever, and nothing else happened. How the body died didn't really matter. Beside, torture involved keeping the victim alive to go on for longer, while he had never wanted to keep that Faunus alive.

"Some animals swallow their prey whole and alive, which is more painful and horrible than what I just did, so why are you so condemning?" he countered, annoyed.

"That's different!" Blake interjected, looking even angrier than Nikos. "Those are animals killing other animals! You-"

"I. Am. A. Nightmare!" Jaune shouted back, finally fed up. "Can't you get that in those thick skulls of yours? You should've known since the start you didn't volunteer for a pleasure trip with your best friends! I am a Nightmare, a human Grimm, a _Demon_! Shove that in your brain! I am _not_ human nor will I ever be! I am not normal! I am not like you! Okay?!"

"Why?"

Ruby's tiny voice was so quiet he almost didn't hear it. Even as it was, he had more read her lips than heard her voice. But the simple question surprised him to the point it must've shown, because Nikos and Blake alike were frowning at his sudden stiffness.

 _Why?_

Because he hated her.

 _Why did he hated her?_

Because… she had gravely injured Ruby.

 _Why injuring Ruby caused him to hate her?_

Because Ruby was the leader…

 _Bullshit._

Because he needed allies…

 _Bullshit._

Because she was the friendliest ally he had…

 _Closer to the truth._

Because… because…

Jaune's eyes narrowed, then widened in shock, then narrowed again.

Because Ruby was a friend. No, not just _a_ friend, she was _his_ friend, his _only_ friend, his _first_ friend. Because she had given him a choice and a chance where others hadn't, because she had believed in him turning over a new leaf even when it wasn't possible, because she'd never believed he could really be a bad person.

 _That's more like it._

But… that hatred hadn't been a rational choice on his part. He hadn't forced himself to feel hatred because of Ruby's injury. It had just come to him, taking over control with the suddenness of a summer monsoon. But why had that happened? He was a Nightmare, he couldn't feel bonds of friendship unless he rationalized them, and even then it was wishful thinking, not actual emotions.

He… he couldn't understand.

But at least he had an answer for them.

He looked up and troubled blue locked with soft silver. "She hurt you," he shrugged simply. It wasn't the best answer they could get, but it was the best and only he could give.

Apparently, it was enough to break them out of their trance. Four of them exchanged shocked and disbelieving glances, but the fifth didn't break eye contact as her eyes went huge in realization.

He could almost _taste_ the disbelief in the air, but no one questioned him further. They probably thought he was a lost cause anyway – not that he disagreed.

He was a Nightmare. Nightmares didn't have friends. They didn't feel positive emotions such as friendship. They didn't bond with people, be it humans or other Nightmares. They could only have allies, and they weren't _made_ to feel emotions the way humans did.

And most of all, they weren't protective of people – no matter how much they could rationalize friendship.

/-/

He didn't move his eyes from the calm waves rhythmically rolling against the broadside of the ship as he heard his companions approach. He'd managed to avoid being questioned for the past twenty-something hours, but he knew it had been way too good to last. And the worst part was, despite thinking about what had happened back at the Blood Fang encampment for the whole time, he still didn't have any kind of satisfying answer for them or for himself. He knew _what_ had happened, but he had no idea _why_ it had happened.

With a sigh, he turned to face his companions. As he had feared, they were all present. "So."

"So," Blake threw it back at him.

A tense silence fell over the group. Ruby lightly scratched the bandage over the right side of her face, and Jaune almost scolded her for that before catching himself. The situation wasn't ideal. It wasn't time for small talk no matter how much he would've preferred it over an interrogation.

"What was that?" Yang asked bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest. "What you did to that woman."

Jaune relaxed ever so slightly. That was going to be easy enough. He'd feared they would be asking about why, not what. He could handle that. "That was one of my Lunas, Dark Wither. On a person with Aura, it's almost ineffective at my level, and even to a person without it takes a lot of time to kill them. Also, at my current level of power, the withered zone quickly disappears if I stop the flow, so it's a kill-or-spare with no 'injury' option."

"At your current level?" repeated Nikos. "You mean it can get stronger?"

"Sure it can, like all Lunas. Remember, Dark Lunas work just like normal ones, just only for Nightmares," shrugged the boy. "With more experience, I could deplete Aura or leave permanent damage, but I've been out of that necklace only for a week or so, and I guessed that showing it to you guys would make you even more uncomfortable around me."

"How many Lunas do you have?" Weiss inquired, suspicious. "And what do they do?"

"That's a conversation for another time since there are people walking around and I'm not sure I want passer-byes to eavesdrop," Jaune countered with a smile.

Weiss pouted, but begrudgingly nodded. "True…"

Grinning at her, he turned fully to face them. "Anyway, you seem more at ease around me than you've been since the battle at the cave. What happened?"

"We talked," replied the white-haired heiress. "Ruby most of all. If I have to be honest, I'm still sceptical about the whole thing, but I guess I can give you the benefit of doubt. Besides, creating more tension between you and us does not help us in the slightest."

"Everyone but Pyrrha and Ruby agreed that you probably got lost in the heat of the battle. Ruby thinks you got angry because that woman hurt her. Pyrrha just thinks you're a monster," Yang summed up quite nicely.

"Nothing's changed then," commented the Nightmare, causing the taller redhead to glare at him.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you," she stated, as if that was any different from how she'd been keeping an eye on him ever since the start of the mission.

"Sure, sure…" he waved her off before his stomach growled. "Well, not sure about you guys, but I'm hungry. Who's coming?"

"I'm going to my cabin and read," Blake refused quietly. "I'll eat when there's less people in the restaurant."

"And I'm off to the gym with Pyrrha," added Yang, playfully punching the redhead's arm. "She owes me a spar-"

"No I do not, but if you insist…"

"-and it's been a while since I got a good work-out," the blonde finished as if the other had never even spoken. "So catch you later I guess."

As the two headed off, with Blake too walking away, Jaune turned to Ruby. "You?"

"Sorry Jaune, but eating food with this thing on is itchy and so hard…" she grumbled, pointing at the bandage still covering almost all her mouth. "It should heal quickly with my Aura, but it's not yet ready to be taken off. Plus I don't want everyone to stare at me in the restaurant."

Weiss, at least, shrugged. "Someone has to keep an eye on you, and I have nothing else to do. As long as you don't eat like a barbarian, I can bear your presence." Her stomach growled and both Nightmare and reaper turned to stare at her. A tint of pink dusted her cheeks and she huffed, looking away. "Being captured, manhandled and almost burned at stake, and then fighting for your life, would make just about anyone hungry."

Jaune grinned and offered his arm. "Of course, milady. Shall we go? I quite remember you still owe me a date from the fight with Mordred, don't you?"

Weiss snorted in a very un-Weiss-like way and shoved his arm away. "As if I'd ever go out with you. You look ridiculous with those clothes."

"Oh, you hurt me so much," he deadpanned in the flattest voice he could muster. Then he grinned again. "So if I buy a suit, you'll go on that famous date with me?"

Weiss scoffed and spared him a glance from above her shoulder. "I'll consider it… but your chances are still almost inexistent."

"Almost inexistent is way better than none," he shrugged cheerfully, matching her speed. "I'll be honoured to be your date for the night."

"Oh, my hero," she mockingly swooned. "How could I have lived for so long without such a gallant knight to hold my hand and my soul?"

He stopped and returned the mockery with a low bow. "Milady, taking you to dinner is nothing. I'd conquer mountains and tame the sea for you. I'll steal the stars from the night sky just to always illuminate your perfection. I'll fulfil your every desire, your wishes will be my goals, I'll live for you and you alone, if you will have me."

She faked a shy smile and giggle behind her hand. "Oh my dear _Chevalier_ , you make me blush. How can I ever repay such touching words of devotion?"

"Huh, maybe by moving out of the way?" a third, unexpected and unknown voice spoke up from Weiss's right. The two of them jumped out of their skin and twirled around to look at the owner of the voice.

The man who had spoken, or at least who appeared to have spoken, was looking at them with an annoyed expression on his face, while another man slightly behind him seemed amused. Aside from his wild black hair falling down his shoulders and his front, so long it reached his waist, the detail Jaune noticed first were his eyes. They were of a brilliant violet a few shades darker than Yang's own lilac ones, and most of all they looked extremely feminine. Jaune didn't know why he got that impression, just that he did. Those eyes were feminine, no arguments permitted.

A smirk had already found a home on his face before he turned to look at his companion, who stared right back at him as if daring to comment on his friend's appearance. Blue and brown met for a second before Jaune fought back the snickers.

Of course Weiss didn't find it funny at all, being the killjoy she was.

"We're incredibly sorry," she apologized, ducking her head slightly. "We were lost in our banter."

The first -and closer- of the two cloaked men just shrugged. "As long as you don't stop us from going to the restaurant, you can go on bantering all you want."

"If so, then you're going the wrong way," replied Weiss, gesturing to where the two had come from. "The restaurant is that way."

The first man turned to the second, who held up his Scroll – with a map of the ship on it. "No, I am sure it's the other way," he commented before the two cloaked individuals shared a chuckle and walked off towards the restaurant.

Jaune frowned at Weiss.

"Hey, why are you looking at me? I'm not your guide!"

" _'Oh, I've memorized the whole ship, we don't need a map'_ ," he mockingly imitated her own voice, with horrible results. "I've never felt so embarrassed in my entire life."

He walked off too.

He didn't mention he'd only been in the outside world for a week.

 ** _Whoa, lots of questions, no answers._**

 ** _Don't worry, the gang WILL ask questions - they just know that asking him now is useless, because either he can't or won't answer them. I mean, would you ask a wall for directions? No, because it's pointless. Same for them and him._**

 ** _As for the infamous 'why' it happened... I have the answer. No one else does. It'll be explained... later._**

 ** _Now... question n1... is Ruby gonna get a cool scar?_**

 ** _Who knows! (not even me, this time!)_**

 ** _And now goodbye for another month and a ha-oh crap! *dodges volley of readers' totally NOT friendly fire* Ah! Ouch! *or well, tries to dodge*_**

 ** _Until next time bye!_**

 ** _Khor Evik -Ouch!- Vlakhavlakh_**


	13. Nightmare Freedom and Human Standards

**_Oh look, I did take another month and a half. In my defence, I had a friend come over for two weeks, and as important as fanfictions are, friends have priority. Second, I also wrote a HTTYD oneshot which took up a few days, and also I'm looking for a job which means even less time to write. Now, enjoy. Explanations at the end AN._**

 _The last of the four_

The litany fluctuated swiftly through abyssal currents and schools of fish, passing by ancient formations of rocks jutting out of the bottom of the sea. The ocean was dark so deep down, far from the light of the surface. Huge and tiny algae created vast underwater forests denser than any overworld jungle, ranging in colour from bluish green to brown-littered rust orange, going through uncountable shades of green. The aquatic flora swayed in the strong, constant currents that swept through the bottom of the ocean, hiding innumerable organisms, from tiny bacteria to large fishes. The words caressed the chlorophytes, the algae sizzling and withering as it was passed by.

 _Has finally awoken,_

Water seemed to grow warmer as the otherworldly song lowered to the sandy bed of the sea, crawling across like a desert snake in the sand, seagrass blackening and dying as it went. Thousands of miniscule animals skittered on the rocks and between the hunting starfishes. A gargantuan abyss stretched across the bottom of the ocean like an immense scar, so deep no light could pierce it's overwhelming darkness. The water bubbled and boiled as the chant slid down the vertical walls, tracing the curves of the water-smoothed rocks as ancient as the world itself. No fauna or flora inhabited those dark depths… down there, darkness ruled supreme.

 _Trick oh dark child,_

Inhuman words curled and twisted around the bottom of the abyss, playing between immense dorsal fins and stroking black scales like kittens. The song slipped over a white skull almost as big as a ship, twirling between fangs as large as fishing boats, before it glided over the black eyelid, closed ever since ages long gone. The chant grew in strength and volume, water sizzling and turning into steam as the mightiest of magic pushed against the faded psyche of the titanic entity. A pulse of powerful darkness swept over the colossal body, chasing away sleep and hibernation from the asleep legend.

 _Or spells will be broken._

Four gigantic red eyes slid open as the now awakened monster listened to the haunting litany floating all around it. Immense fury filled its being as the behemoth pushed itself off the bottom of the abyss and roared all its rage loud enough for the walls to crack and collapse from the sonic waves. The colossal monster shook boulders the size of a house off of itself with ease and turned upwards, sweeping through the water as it followed the call of the chant. Razor-sharp fangs larger than Deathstalker sparkled in the dark waters as the invincible legend shot through the water at tremendous speed, chasing the words and their singer.

/-/

The restaurant itself wasn't half bad.

Built across the entire width of the ship, it had dozens of tables to sit at, pristine white walls, and a wooden floor – or at least what appeared to be a wooden floor but probably wasn't, given how that would weaken the ship's structure. Waiters, waitresses and customers swarmed the area, the former two with enough grace to dodge all the obstacles, the latters not so much. A slew of colours assaulted their senses, from the bright clothes to the varied food.

The food itself was extremely interesting. There were some plain dishes, like rice or steak, but many were exotic and very aesthetically pleasing. Of course, it was no high-class luxurious restaurant like the ones Weiss was used to visiting back in Atlas, but it wasn't some scum-filled dirty diner hidden in the slums of a poor city. It could be enough.

"Nightmare!"

The two of them froze at the shout, both going rigid with shock and fear. A young man with reddish-brown hair dressed in a dark blue suit stood up from his seat across the hall, looking around wildly. His three companions, all obvious Huntresses, tensed up and reached for their weapons. Apparently, they hadn't been pinpointed yet, but for how long?

"Sir, please, sit down," a nearby waitress tried to reason with him. "There's no need-"

"Of course there's need, I'm a Virtuous and I just felt a Nightmare's presence in this room!" exclaimed the man, pushing aside the woman to scan the crowd. If what they knew about the Virtue was correct, he wouldn't be able to do that until he were to step right in front of them. "We need to localize it and-"

"You don't need to do anything," interrupted an unfamiliar but not unknown voice. Weiss and Jaune remained still as the two men from earlier walked up to the Virtuous. "We are currently in no one's land. No Kingdom can make their laws apply here lest they risk a war, and this means that whatever license a Kingdom has given you to hunt Demons, if you attack a Demon unprovoked or unnecessarily, you'll be sued by the company for destruction of property and terrorism."

The three Huntresses stood up to back their Virtuous up. "Who are you siding with? Humanity, or the Grimm?"

"I'm siding with myself. Look, if there's Nightmare on this ship, it means it has paid the ticket like everyone else, which means the company is forced to try and prevent harm from befalling it. If an animal were to properly buy a ticket, it would be treated like any other passenger." The man with brown eyes continued calmly. "And since you have no authority whatsoever here, oh great and powerful _Hunters_ , you should all sit down and be quiet. If you really want to kill this Nightmare, you can wait until the disembark and kill it once it sets foot on land. Or, if it starts causing trouble."

The Virtuous narrowed his eyes at the two men, but apparently he didn't find anything to say, because he just sat back down with a grumble.

Jaune was impressed. "Hey, Weiss-Cream, is it actually true?"

She gave him a sidelong glare as the two resumed walking. "Haven't you learned anything from your fifteen years in Ruby?"

"That makes it sound like I banged her for fifteen years straight," he sighed in embarrassment as Weiss groaned and facepalmed at her own poor choice of words. "Also, it's not like the _exact_ rules about hunting Nightmares are taught to fifteen-year-old girls who are still learning how to fight Grimm, much less Nightmares."

"Fair enough," she exhaled slowly, removing her hand from her face. "From what I know, yes it's true, even though if you were to look through loopholes and overly detailed law wording, I'm sure you'd find a way to justify the murder of a Nightmare on no one's land."

Jaune chuckled, and she glared at him. "What is it?"

"Nothing, nothing," he awkwardly coughed into his hand, slightly afraid of the girl even though she was a head shorter than him. "It's just… you used 'murder of a Nightmare'."

"Yes, and so?" she asked, irritated.

"Well, murder can only refer to a person. You don't murder Grimm, you kill them," he grinned at her before whistling and walking over to an empty table.

She stood still for a second, taking in his words, before she shook her head and followed him, sitting down prim and proper like she'd been taught to. Almost immediately a waiter came over to take their orders and disappeared just as fast.

Once they were alone once more, Weiss spoke her mind. "Is it really so important to you? Using 'murder' instead of 'kill'?"

Jaune thought about it for a grand total of half a second before nodding. "Actually, yeah. I mean, Nikos subconsciously calls Nightmares 'it' when she's not paying attention, which means she considers them monsters. Grimm. She wouldn't hesitated to kill one and wouldn't consider it any different than killing a Beowolf or an Ursa. You regularly use 'he' or 'she', and you address them as if you were talking about people."

"Does it really make that much of a difference?" asked the heiress.

"Only the difference between truly believing and faking belief for the others' sake," shrugged the boy, his thoughtful frown shifting into a grin. "And it's good to know that under all that ice, you do have a heart, Weiss-Cream."

"Stop calling me that!" she hissed dangerously.

"Well, it's either that, or Ice Queen," he replied, ignoring her freezing glare. "And since we've proven you don't have a cold heart, then you are as sweet as ice cream, hence the name!"

She groaned and hid her face into her hands in exasperation. "Are you gonna flirt with me all day long?"

"No, only until you either slap me or kiss me…" he pulled a face. "Though I'd prefer the former."

"That can be arranged."

"But now that I think of it, maybe getting a magical kiss from the princess of my dreams _is_ better than the other option," Jaune went right back to flirting without missing a beat… or so he thought. "Who knows, maybe you could even turn this poor, wretched Nightmare into a human knight in shining armour."

"Or maybe turn you back into a toad," Weiss replied sweetly, growing a smile so fake it could be spotted from a mile away.

Jaune leaned forwards with a grin. "Your words hurt me more than a thousands spears, my lady. I gave my heart to you and only to you, and you so cruelly break it?"

Weiss matched his movements with an even faker sweet smile. "My beloved knight, I am so sorry, I did not think your heart was made of such a fragile glass. What can I do to heal your aching wounds? Or better yet, to make them worse?"

"I think I know, my love, but I dare not speak," continued Jaune, his grin growing by the second.

"Please, my faithful companion, tell me what I can do to help soothe your pain," she asked with fake compassion, which made what happened next somehow even more amusing.

Quick as a viper, he leaned in and placed a hand on her cheek, bringing her closer and joining their mouths. She froze under his touch, which he used to his advantage as he kissed her slowly and chastely before pulling away before she could regain control over her body and slap the smugness out of him.

He expected her to either explode and yell at him, or blush bright red. His amusement was cut short when she did neither. Her eyes seemed to tear up, and she quickly stood. "I- I need to go to the restroom for a moment. Excuse me," she said, and instead of the rigid fury he'd expected, he noticed with growing bewilderment and not a small amount of fear that her voice was almost quivering.

What the hell had just happened to Weiss?

Her emotional output didn't match his expectations either. There was no anger coming from her, and no lust that might've justified a trip to the bathroom. There was only sadness, despair, and a huge pit of sorrow as she hurried away.

What the fuck had he done? More importantly, what the fuck was Weiss doing?

It was just a kiss – did humans really thought them so important? It was just skin contact.

He shook his head. It wasn't time to wonder about humanity's stupidity. He had had fifteen years to dump humans in the list of unintelligent creatures alongside sloths, beetles, chickens and sheep.

Now it was time to learn what was wrong with Weiss.

He dashed after her, carelessly elbowing people aside with the tried-and-true excuse of 'my beloved is gonna leave me if I don't make things right!'. People were such saps. She tried to speed up, but she couldn't do so without losing her composure and for some reason she didn't want to do that. He grabbed her wrist and tugged her towards the door that gave on the outside.

"Let me go," she ordered quietly, hurt shining through her eyes. For someone who rarely showed emotions, when she did Weiss wasn't subtle.

"What you need is fresh air, not the bathroom, and an apology," he countered, dragging her outside with his greater strength. Thankfully there weren't many people around, so he just found a corner tucked away from the walkway and sat Weiss down there.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly, apparently having regained enough Weiss-ness during her little displacement.

"I told you, I want to apologize," he replied. "For some reason I upset you with that kiss and I'm sorry for that."

"I don't need your sorriness," she spat venomously. "Besides, why do you even care? You're just a Nightmare."

The remark stung, but he knew it was true. He didn't really care about Weiss, he cared about not feeling her negativity. However, he hadn't come this far to be stopped by such a simple accusation. "Yes, I'm a Nightmare, which means I can perceive people's negative emotions, and currently I know I for some reason hurt you _really_ badly on an emotional level and I don't have the slightest clue why."

Weiss kept glaring at him wordlessly.

Jaune sighed and sat down beside her. "Look, it's not easy for me either, okay? Living with you all, I mean. Being a Nightmare means I don't know what your moral rules are. Is kissing a girl you were joking with illegal? I didn't know. I just thought I was continuing the joke. Is killing someone in a different way from how you guys were killing them wrong? A kill is a kill no matter how is done. I'm a Nightmare, you can't hold me to human standards, not only because I'm not human, but because I don't _know_ what human standards are." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I've had to hold back so many times. You have taboos you never talk about, you have your way of seeing things, your way of thinking, your way of dealing with emotions… it's all _your_ way and you never stop to ask me what is _my_ way. It gets very tiring very quickly. Back then, I just didn't know what I was doing was wrong. I was just trying to get a reaction out of you, either anger or embarrassment. But then you start acting like I murdered a puppy in front of you and run away almost crying, as if I did something horrible."

She remained silent for the entirety of his explanation, but when she spoke, the cold edge in her voice had warmed up almost imperceptibly. "I… never thought of it like that, I guess. What you did wasn't right, but… honestly, we were joking, and a kiss like that isn't that much of a big deal among friends-"

"Wait wait wait, you consider me a friend?" Jaune asked, bewildered. First Ruby, now _Weiss_? What was with people thinking humans and Nightmares could be friends?

"Well, actually no but it's just a way of saying we don't try to kill each other," she replied immediately. However, she stopped after that, and a thoughtful frown appeared on her face. "Well… it's… I _should not_ be your friend but… if I were to be honest, you and the others mean the same to me…"

Jaune blinked. Was she fighting the standards he'd just mentioned? That was absurd. First Ruby with her naivety and ignorance about those standards, now Weiss who knew about them but fought against them for some sort of moral code? His opinion of humans had just changed.

Humans weren't stupid, hateful and violent. No, they were stupid, hateful, violent, and really really weird.

A cloud shrouded the sun, and the air quickly grew colder. The sharp wind didn't help, either. He glanced at Weiss, only clad in that ridiculous dress of hers. Elegant, maybe, but not at all apt for travelling or fighting. With a sigh, he unclasped his dark blue cloak and laid it on Weiss, who stiffened. There was no point in letting her get a cold. It'd only slow down the mission, and honestly he was already fed up with this quest to save the world. Quest to save humanity, more like, and he had no interest in saving humanity.

His cheeks reddened under her questioning stare. "W-What? Would you prefer to catch a cold?"

"I thought you said you can't maintain the Dusk in your clothes on people other than Ruby," she noted flatly, subconsciously bringing her legs up to her chest so she could cover them better with the cloth.

"I said it takes me quite the effort to maintain them away from me, but you're literally two feet away, and I'm lending it to you until we go back inside." He rolled his eyes. Of course she would remember that.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, just listening to the waves crashing against the hull of the ship. Aside from the huge wall of dark clouds closing in from the horizon and a few puffy clouds above them, the sky wasn't half bad either.

The silence was cut short by Jaune, who wasn't lying when he said it took effort to maintain the cloak on Weiss. "So, mind telling me why you were so upset?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"That's for sure, if you don't even bother trying to tell me," snorted the Nightmare, matching her glare with one of his own before shrugging. "Besides, Summer always said that talking about something makes it less painful even if people can't help."

"Why would you even care about how I feel?"

"Because you're my-" He cut himself off. No, he already decided he wouldn't go down that path. "Because your emotional output influences me too, which means that what you feel, I feel."

"You don't look so upset," she noted suspiciously.

"Look, I've had fifteen years of feeling negativity of experience. Besides, other people's negativity influences me differently, not in a way I can truly show until it becomes overwhelming." Jaune gestured vaguely. "So, unless you want me to go negativity-crazy and start acting like a Grimm, spit it out. What did I do that was so horrible?"

"I told you, you wouldn't understand," Weiss repeated stubbornly.

"I understand more than you think," he rebutted. "Besides, we're both stubborn enough to wait here until that storm arrives."

"It's something from my past, and it's none of your business."

"It's totally my business since one moment we were joking and the next you're fleeing in tears and then you are angry at _me_ ," he retorted, this time shutting her up by closing a hand on her mouth to stop her from repeating herself again. "You said you consider me a friend. Fine, then prove it, prove you're not all empty words and fake belief."

He knew that appealing to her pride and honour was a low blow, but he saw no other solution. As he expected, she seemed to inflate with anger before snorting. "Fine. I am the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. This means that I have many suitors, most of which chosen directly by my father, the current owner of the company, courting me to enter my father's graces. I am nothing more than a property to show off for him to get more business partners, and eventually a property to sell at the suitor with the most money."

Jaune was impressed. Was that man a Nightmare? If so, he was doing a damn good job at creating chaos and sufferance.

Her anger seemed to run out, and she deflated, looking as if she didn't want to continue. However, if there was one thing he knew about Weiss, was that she never did things halfway through. It was all or nothing with her. Reluctantly, she continued her story, eyes downcast and voice low. "Of course, he couldn't afford the suitors to not like me, which meant that I could only turn them away when they got _too_ disrespectful. I had to act like the perfect daughter and future trophy wife, which meant I had to play their game or at least not reject them… and a few of them were even bold enough to kiss me, even though I was allowed to reject those once they tried."

Wow. That man made Nightmares want to take notes. And Weiss was his daughter. Yikes. He never knew how afraid of her he had to be until that day.

"After I went to Beacon and later on this mission, Ozpin took care of telling my father I wouldn't be returning home due to some missions I had to take as part of passing the Beacon initiation, despite the school having officially closed. Which meant I was free from my father's control. When you kissed me without permission you… reminded me of how I had no say in my life prior to this." Weiss exhaled slowly and wiped her eyes even though Jaune couldn't see any tears in them. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't-"

"Who's telling you shouldn't?" he cut her off with a grin.

"W-What?" she asked, taken aback by the sudden interruption.

"Should not, could not, would not, had not, can not, do not, ugh, all these laws and rules that _have_ to be followed… all these morals and these stereotypes and these expectations…" Jaune rolled his eyes. "Seriously, who's forcing you to follow the rules any more?"

Weiss opened her mouth to reply, maybe to explain and convince him, but he didn't want to be convinced, so he spoke over her. "You know how Nightmares live? In total freedom, with no stupid limits other or we set to ourselves. Which means that you can do whatever you want, from saying whatever you want to shooting people on a whim. You just have to shoulder the responsibility of your actions."

"Oh, I know it wouldn't work if Nightmares had an actual society. I mean, I followed human rules all thorough my stay in this world. But honestly, who cares for what others think of you or say you should be or not be?" He grinned wickedly. "Who are they to rule our lives?"

"That way lays chaos," Weiss pointed out, but his smile didn't waver.

"Sure. But the point is… rules are made to be broken, especially the ones imposed on us by people with no control over us. The only limitations we have are the ones we choose for ourselves, and it's pretty stupid to limit yourself." He tapped a finger on her forehead to emphasise his point, which she swatted away with a scowl. "It's the same reason why Nightmares don't have standards like humans. Human standards are a mix of what others told you is wrong or right, a mix of what you perceive is wrong or right going by others' actions, and a mix of what others showed dislike or disapproval towards. It's all others. I mean, let's take the kiss from earlier. Humans disapprove of random kissing, right?"

"Right…" she nodded slowly.

"Nightmares don't care. Kissing someone is like touching their arm, mere physical contact. Humans labelled kisses as romantic actions that only lovers can perform, and are frowned upon in public. How stupid is that? Now what, you can't elbow me in the ribs if I'm saying something dumb because it's frowned upon?"

"Well, it's different, it's…" Weiss stopped.

It was… what? Why were kisses labelled as a romantic action? She could guess because they were pleasant, but then why were they restricted only to lovers? She… couldn't find the reason _why_ , only that it was like that, period. There was no why. Why was the colour yellow called such? Why did people get names at birth instead of choosing one for themselves later? They were such basic foundations of their modern society, that she just couldn't dig any deeper to find the why.

It was just… there. Like Maths all depended on the definition of numbers. If one accepted that one plus one made two and two plus two made four, all the more advanced algebra was based on that. It was so basic one couldn't even _not_ accept it. It was true, period.

"It's not different. It's just what you've been taught to believe ever since you're born. I was born adult, and as such I did not believe everything I heard Summer and Taiyang teach Ruby. It's ingrained in your mindset. Nightmares don't have that." He chuckled. "That's one of the reasons why some Nightmares love having random sex so much. 'As lascivious as a Nightmare', humans say about nymphomaniacs. Well, when you aren't taught to only have sex with specific people, you don't really care as long as it feels good."

"I… didn't need to hear that," groaned Weiss, looking a little sick at the thought.

"Point is, we Nightmares _don't care_. And that's what you should do too!" he finished his grand speech, bumping his shoulder into hers.

"You think I should have sex with the first stranger I meet?" she almost yelled in shock and outrage.

Jaune burst out laughing. "Oh dear Salem I didn't say that, but the fact that was the first thing you thought of surely speaks a lot about you." She blushed and smacked his arm, hard, which did nothing to stop his mirth. "I meant not caring about what people think is right or wrong or whatever. Living your life by your rules."

"So breaking the law on a whim?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. If so, that was probably the worst advice she'd ever gotten – and she had gotten very bad advice before.

"If you're ready to go to jail because of what you did, yes," he shrugged. "Remember, freedom means accepting the consequences."

She sighed. "Look, it was just a moment, a flashback, no need to harp on about my philosophy of life."

"Yes it is. Look, you were too afraid of the consequences of your actions to go against your father back then. He could've hurt you, disowned you, thrown you out… but you told us your sister works in the military. I'm sure she would've managed to help you somehow." Jaune frowned as the first droplets of rain began to pit-patter down from the sky. "And you were afraid of what people would think. Oh, the heiress of the _Schnee Dust Company_ misbehaved and threw a tantrum against a suitor… what a scandal… even now, you act all prim and proper because you think that people will judge you if you don't. Newsflash, you shouldn't care about what people think. You are your own person, not someone's expectations."

"I don't fear people's expectations, I left that behind when I left my father!" she exclaimed, her anger mounting again, which would make the next part of his plan much easier. "And I'm not afraid of people's judgement! I believe in the saying 'sticks and stones may break my body, but words will never hurt me'!"

"Oh really?" Jaune drawled, irritating her even further. "Then prove it."

"Fine!" she seethed. "How should I prove it?"

"It's simple. You have two options. Option number one, we go back to that restaurant, and you shout 'fuck you' at the top of your lungs." She choked and stared at him in bewilderment. He knew just how insane that sounded to her. "Second choice, you pose for me, naked, in your cabin."

She spluttered and her anger grew so much he was sure soon steam would exit from her ears. True sheer willpower, she seemed to stop herself from shouting, strangling him and then mauling the corpse before it could disappear into Dusk. "W-What kind of a bet is that?!"

"Simple, I'm making you choose. What's more important to you? _People's_ expectations, _people's_ judgemental stares, what _people_ say is normal behaviour, or _your_ honour, _your_ dignity, _your_ privacy? It's _people_ against _you_ , Weiss." He dropped his grin and almost snarled the last words. "Choose. You accepted the bet, now deal with it."

She shook in anger, but stood up and began to stomp over to the restaurant hall. Jaune lost his scowl and swiftly followed her, knowing what was to come. The girl in white stormed through the corridors and reached that part of the ship in no time, stopping right in the middle of the hall and taking a deep breath.

"They're looking at you," Jaune whispered by her side, making her freeze for a second and lose the breath. She tried again, but again he interrupted her. "I wonder, will they recognize you as the Schnee Dust Company's heiress?"

She stiffened, and this time she didn't inhaled for a shout.

"I wonder what your father would say if he were to know about this," he continued nonchalantly. "What a shame you would bring on the Schnee name. Yelling at people such rude words, people you've never met, people who will _judge_ you for those words?"

Weiss wasn't angry any more. Now she looked nervous and conflicted. Jaune didn't like making her feel so bad, especially because if she felt bad he felt bad, but it was necessary to prove his point.

"Maybe he will call you to tell you some choice words… on what it means to be on the spotlight… on what you have done to the company's reputation… or even… of what people will think of you…"

His words finally did their job.

Slowly, Weiss crumpled. Resignation took over, pushing her inner conflict aside, as years of ingrained mentality showed their rotten fruits. Grown up to be the perfect heiress and daughter, she couldn't afford to ruin her image. Not purposefully, not in front of so many people.

"Let's… let's just go," she murmured, and this time he knew the tears were going to flow, but far from prying eyes. "You win… I'll pose. Let's just go."

He barked out a laugh and grabbed her arm, making her flinch, before dragging her to their table. "You weren't thinking I'd actually make you go through with that, were you?" She looked at him with shock. It was understandable, he supposed. He was a Nightmare, and she had been grown among people who wouldn't think twice about taking advantage of a deal in any way they could. "I told you, I just wanted to prove my point. _People_ won over _you_. That's a serious problem, Weiss."

She didn't reply. She looked down, and let out a slow, hiccuping sigh of relief. Only when her shoulders slumped he realized just how tense and stiff Weiss usually was. He almost felt pity for her. He wanted to shout 'fuck you' in her stead to prove how he didn't care, but looking at her relieved form as her frame shook slightly, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Man, it was gonna be very hard to break that mentality. But, well, it wasn't like he had anything else to do. For now, only four things on his agenda. Survive, finish the mission, break Ruby's naive view of the world, break Weiss's victimized behaviour.

Finally, she looked up, and he could see the usual Weiss taking control. "I'm sorry, I… I guess I misjudged you."

"Nah, it's fine," he waved her off. "Honestly, it wasn't really nice of me to force you into that bet. I should be the one apologizing."

For some obscure reason, that statement made her smile ever so slightly. "You know… you don't act like a Nightmare."

"Another one who thinks that," he huffed, not mentioning how he was the second with Ruby as first. "I just did it to stop your emotional output. I told you, you feel bad, I feel bad."

Her tinkling laughter was like music after all that moping and crying and wailing. "Ruby is right… you do come up with a lot of excuses."

He scoffed. Ruby was just fifteen, what did she know of how the world worked? "Yeah, right, excuses… who would I even need to convince with these so-called 'excuses' of mine?"

Himself would be a good start…

/-/

 _The last of the four  
has finally awoken,_

The black scales seemed to absorb light as the legendary entity they belonged to swept through the water with ease, each swish of its tail moving thousands of tons of water aside as the ancient monster swam to the surface. The giant spikes on its back cut through the ocean's undercurrents like a hot knife through butter, and the huge horns speared through the water like missiles.

 _Trick oh dark child,  
or spells will be broken._

The titanic Grimm narrowed its four eyes as far above, on the ocean's surface, the silhouette of a ship finally appeared.

 ** _Uh-oh... what could that mean?_**

 ** _In canon, Relics attract Grimm. Here, only these legend Grimm because having swarms of Creeps trying to attack them at all times would just get boring. And yes, the chant is the Relic's doing. Why it's the 'last of the four'? Simple. In all stories the heroes take the objects they need to take in their original order... here, I'm just making them take the closest Relics at hand. The order is Hatred, Bloodlust, Chaos, Treason (Creation, Destruction, Knowledge, Choice)._**

 ** _Now, onto the Jaune and Weiss situation. First of all, yes what Jaune said is right, many of our beliefs are just that: beliefs. I'm not saying we should destroy them, just that from the point of view of someone without such basic beliefs, ours look weird. He doesn't have the same way of thinking we have._**

 ** _Second, why did Jaune do something. One, deep down, he IS trying to prove himself wrong by being a 'good' Nightmare. Two and most important, he knows that upsetting Weiss could shorten his life span. He's not wrong when he says that maintaining friendship with all of them makes the mission go better and thus his life be longer. Three, he is a Nightmare, which means he feels what other feel. And finally, he doesn't have the human way of thinking 'I hurt her, I'll give her time before talking to her', he just acts on what he sees. Also, Weiss had just stated to be his friend, and he is still new to the whole friendship thing even though he craves it, which means he will always act on what he believes he should act upon._**

 ** _So yes, expect him to jump in as often as he can to fix problems with Ruby or Weiss. The others aren't in the friends category yet._**

 ** _Last, Weiss's decision about the bet. One, while that might be extreme, I can say I'm not sure of what I would've done. If I were to have had Weiss's background, I'd probably go for the second choice. People's judgement is hard to face, especially alone. Weiss is someone who has been forced to mind what people thought of her for all her life. Like an abused child will flinch whenever someone starts waving their hands around, some scars in the mind remain for a long time. As Jaune said, Weiss still puts 'people' before 'herself' in the list of who rules her life._**

 ** _Don't worry, it'll get better._**

 ** _Or worse given what's under the ship..._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	14. Jörmungandr

**_The cliffhanger is finally solved! And yes, I did name a giant sea monster "Jörmungandr". I was torn between "Jörmungandr", the giant sea serpent that will flood and poison half of the world during Ragnarok (the wolf Fenrir will burn the other half, don't worry), or "Níðhöggr", the serpent-dragon that gnaws the roots of the Yggdrasil, the world tree. In the end, I went for the former._**

"Gods that was a good spar," Yang chuckled as she and Pyrrha walked on the deck, or more like ran under the rain, freshly showered after a light sparring match between the two – one Pyrrha had won, of course.

For Yang, losing wasn't _always_ a bad thing. If she'd known beforehand that she had little to no chances of winning, she could be a gracious loser. In most cases, when she didn't know she was outclassed since the start, she instead grouched and sulked over a loss for a _long_ time. Despite her quick-to-come quick-to-burn anger, she could seriously carry a grudge with perseverance and stubbornness.

Fortunately, that particular fight had been one of those rare occasions Yang knew she had no chance of winning since the start. While she didn't know _how_ , Pyrrha Nikos had a way of owning the battlefield no one else had. It probably had something to do with her Lunas, which like most she kept a secret or at least something not well known. Her fighting style, while incredibly skilled, wasn't exotic nor extravagant, but maybe that was exactly why Yang had been so helpless against it – it had been too reliable to have any exploitable opening.

Long story short, the blonde brawler had her ass thoroughly kicked and handed back to her with a polite smile. And Pyrrha had barely broken a sweat – though she quite distinctly remembered the girl having some trouble against King Mordred. Though, given her history of tournament fighting, it was likely she was way more used to fight humans rather than Grimm or monsters of any kind.

"Jeez, and here I though I was a good fighter," she playfully complained as the two of them took refuge back inside, heading for their cabins. "My pride is wounded."

"You are a skilled warrior," Pyrrha reassured her politely, shaking her ponytail slightly to get some of the rain out of it. "However, I have trained a lot to face off against Nightmares, which are amongst the most dangerous Demons out there, and fight like people. And since it was too risky to practise with Nightmares that could escape, I practised with people. It gives me an advantage."

Just as Yang was about to retort that she had practised with people before as well, and not just Grimm, a blaring alarm exploded from the speakers, making the two girls cringe for a second at the loud noise. "What the hell-"

 _"Red alarm! Repeat, red alarm! Unknown Grimm approaching with intention to engage! Alarm level ten! Repeat, alarm level TEN! Stay inside and prepare to evacuate! Stay inside and prepare to evacuate!"_

All around them, people immediately began to panic and run around like headless chickens. Yang and Pyrrha shared a glance before professionally ignoring the people and heading on the deck to help out with the threat of the unknown Grimm, pointedly not minding the pouring rain or the low lighting and instead focusing on the three Huntresses already on the deck.

"-vel?! For fuck's sake, we can't prepare if we don't know the- Oh fuck… Evacuate. Now!" They heard a female voice go from angry to scared as soon as they were back out on the deck. It belonged to a short black-haired woman dressed a dark green tunic over a green shirt and pants, with combat boots completing the outfit. She held a glaive in her right hand while frenetically talking on her phone with her left – or at least she had been talking up until a few seconds prior. Ending the call, she turned to her two companions and grimaced. "The Captain says Leviathan Titan Class, Serpentine, bigger than anything he's ever seen. It's very probable he's just exaggerating or just ignorant of how the scale goes, but if he's not… may the Brothers help us."

Yang stole a glance at Pyrrha, who had stiffened beside her. "I take that's bad?"

The redhead swallowed thickly. "Yang… Titan Class Grimm are literally the strongest entities in the entire world… We have no chance."

Lilac eyes widened. And that was coming from the girl who had fought a semi-invulnerable dead king warrior and emerged almost without a scratch, the world-renowned championship tournament fighter and a Huntress who had killed many Grimm before and probably even Nightmares. And she was telling her that whatever was coming, it was leagues beyond her worst nightmare.. "Oh fuck-"

And then the deck exploded.

Shards of wood and metal and hard plastic rained down on her as something so enormous it went beyond her comprehension shot out of the sea and rammed into the ship, breaking off a good chunk of it and probably killing dozens of people inside in just one hit.

Launched backwards by the collision as the ship was thrown a few dozen feet out of the water, she and Pyrrha slammed hard into the wall behind them, the other three Huntresses not too far behind. Shocked and a bit dazed by the hit, Yang could only stare in absolute fear at the ancient horror that had just emerged from the ocean.

It was serpentine, yes – as in, vaguely shaped like a snake. That was just about where the similarities ended. All she could see at the moment was the huge dark silhouette just under the waves, the monster having fallen back into the water after its initial attack.

The Grimm swam under the ship for a few seconds, turning around before it got too far, and Yang had the creeping sensation it was searching for something. Given she had a moment of respite, she fumbled out her Scroll and immediately called Ruby, trusting Weiss, Jaune and Blake to be with her at their cabin. "Come on… damn it… come on, Ruby…"

Finally, the call was taken. _"Yang! Are you okay?! What was that?!"_

"Ruby! Run!" she all but shouted into the Scroll, fearing for her sister's life. "Find a lifeboat or something and run! Bring everyone with you! It's a Grimm!"

 _"We're on our way, Yang, hang on!"_

"NO!" Her voice cracked, and she really couldn't give a damn. Even when it wasn't directly attacking, that- that _monster_ was still far too close. Ruby had to run. She heard gasps from around her and she looked up, shaking her head to get the wet hair out of her eyes. "We- We can't win this! It's… It's… Oh my gods…"

 _"Yang? Yang?! Yang, what's happen-"_

The Scroll slipped from her terror-numbed fingers and clattered to the floor, sliding away and out of sight on the wet surface.

The monster was looming over the ship. And stationary, it looked even bigger than she'd initially thought.

She couldn't even see its whole body, but what she could see was enough. Standing over three hundreds feet over them and the ship, its body was massive, at least sixty or seventy feet in diameter if not more as far as she could see, but the head was its most terrifying feature. It was a mix between a wolf's and a crocodile's, scaly but short and sharp. A mane of backward-facing spikes crowned its head, while its two enormous horns -one on its forehead and one on its nose- were likely what had allowed the ship to survive the first charge, having torn through it cleanly enough instead of denting and bending the whole ship. Four red eyes, two on each side of the head, were leering down at the ship with hatred and fury etched in their gaze. The lipless jaws showed dozens upon dozens of gigantic fangs, so huge they didn't even need to be sharp to destroy and kill – though Yang was sure they were also razor-sharp.

Behind her, the door slammed open and the four people she currently wanted to see less in the world rushed out, uncaring of the rain – but stopping dead in their tracks at the sight of the behemoth.

Ruby, Weiss and Blake were stunned speechless. Jaune squeaked, or so she thought, but honestly she could understand and fully agreed with him – that thing surely made her feel so small and _helpless_ just by existing… she really didn't want to think how it'd be if they had to fight it.

Even if they were about to.

"We gotta try," the same short, black-haired Huntress spoke shakily. "Kids, find lifeboats and run! We'll try to keep it busy!" For the first time in her life, Yang was glad she could back down from a fight. Not even a madman would want to fight _that_. "Christine, Morena, scatter! Try to keep distracting it as long as we can! We have to buy some time!"

"Right!"

"O-On it!"

The two other Huntresses, a hooded woman and a redhead with a spear, nodded and dashed off.

"We can help!" Ruby's voice spoke up, and Yang felt like cursing.

"No, we can't!" exclaimed Jaune, shouting over the constant noise of the pouring rain. Yang sneaked a glance at the monster. It was scanning the ship for the time being… a ship that would soon sink because of a massive hole in its side. Even Remnant's technology could not work miracles. "That's probably a Legend Class! It's way too strong!"

"People are risking their lives for us, we can't just _run_!" Ruby protested, deploying her scythe before Blake grabbed her hood and pulled her back, furious for once.

"No! If we fight, our mission ends here, and the world is doomed because one of the Relics will forever be either in that monster's stomach or at the bottom of the ocean!" she all but yelled at the younger girl. "We have to get away!"

"Uhm… guys?" Jaune weakly called out.

"WHAT?!" just about everyone snapped at him. He shakily pointed up. Following his gaze, everyone could clearly see that the monster was looking at them – and not scanning the ship any more. A quick glance around told them there was nothing and no one else it could be looking at – which meant it was really focusing on them out of the whole ship.

Then a small, sleek missile impacted the side of its neck, exploding on contact. The same glaive-wielding Huntress from earlier took out another arrow-like projectile and slid it into the shaft of her weapon – which was probably some kind of missile launcher, apparently.

Annoyed by the second explosion impacting its nose, the monster turned away from the teenagers to glare at the Huntress. "Come on! Are you really going to pick on-"

She never got to finish.

The Grimm _roared_.

Yang wasn't sure if it was just sound, or some kind of shockwave, but the effect was clear. Parts of the deck were torn off and blow clean out of the ship. The Huntress stabbed her weapon into the floor to try and stabilize herself, but the soundwave was far beyond what she could handle. She was ripped away from the glaive, but the most horrifying part was that her _body_ seemed not to be able to withstand the sonic blast. Aura flickered and shattered before flesh and skin was torn right off the rest of the body, and the mangled corpse flung into the sea.

Her stomach twisted into tight, _painful_ knots at the gruesome sight. She could see through the corner of her eyes that Weiss had a hand over her mouth, and Ruby was about to throw up. A second later, she was proven true as the younger girl emptied the contents of her stomach on the rain-soaked deck. Pyrrha was grim-faced, but Blake looked stoic and Jaune was just scared, not horrified.

"Vert!" cried another of the trio, the spearwoman. "You bastard!"

"No! Don't!" the hooded Huntress's warning went unheeded as the redhead charged right in, jumping on the back of the monster.

Yang could only watch in fear and a fair bit of amazement as the Huntress ran all the way up to the head and stabbed her spear in the unarmoured joint of the neck, piercing the skin even if not by much. "Morena, get down from there!" the hooded woman shouted, but the words were lost in the noise of the storm, of the waves, and of the monster's movements.

Then the Grimm reared back and suddenly, Yang knew what it was about to do. The hooded Huntress called out once last time before the behemoth dived into the ocean with tremendous force, likely killing the spearwoman on impact. She hoped she'd died immediately, because being wounded and stranded in the sea, near a Titan Class and many other aquatic Grimm attracted by the negativity, was a horrible way to die.

The last Huntress, Christine if Yang remembered how she'd been called by the first, turned to them with panic in her eyes. "Don't just stand there like idiots, run! That thing's gonna come back any-"

Once again, she was interrupted, this time by the monster resurfacing with the speed of a missile, tearing right through the ship – including the spot where she'd been standing not two seconds prior. The second impact lifted the ship less, but it accomplished the goal of splitting it in two halves… which meant they had less space to fight. Or run, since fighting didn't seem to be going so well.

"It's looking at me. Why is it looking at me?!" Jaune rambled, panicking. And true to his words, the monster did seem to be looking straight at him out of all of them.

But why?

Fortunately, Weiss had the answer. "It's the Relic!" she exclaimed, uncaring if someone heard. "It's the only explanation. The passengers are a bigger source of negativity, and Grimm prefer humans over Nightmares, so that's the only explanation!"

Yang hadn't seen that coming. The Relic attracted Grimm. It attracted gigantic Titan Class Grimm for some reason unknown to them, and made sure those gigantic Titan Class Grimm focused on them. Only then it finally sank in.

The Relic attracted Grimm. And they had to drag it around for four continents.

She went white just before something landed at her feet. She looked down at it. It was a simple, dirty, soaked backpack. Jaune's backpack, to be precise. The one that contained the Relic. The Relic that was attracted Grimm.

"Keep it moving!" exclaimed Jaune as he ran away to the other side of the deck. "It'll distract it! Hopefully it'll prevent it from blasting us off!"

"Do as he says!" Pyrrha exclaimed, grabbing the still-greenish Ruby and dashing away. Weiss and Blake followed their lead, but not before the black-haired Faunus had snatched the pack from Yang's feet, giving her time to run too.

It was hardly a foolproof plan, but as long as it kept them alive, Yang was fine with it.

/-/

Two men observed the fight from the other half of the sinking ship, both wrapped in their rainproof cloaks with their hoods pulled up. The first and shorter one of the two was intrigued by the ongoing battle. The six teens seemed to be throwing a backpack to each other even from halfway across the deck, and the Titan Class Grimm seemed to be following it too, which was the most surprising detail, since that meant it was ignoring all the negativity around to focus on them.

Meanwhile, the teens with free hands were attacking the giant serpent with all they had, but nothing seemed to damage its armoured skin – and even when they hit vulnerable parts such as the neck or the eyes, it only seemed to enrage it further.

The sea was also littered with the lifeboats, small armoured ships armed with cannons – in Remnant, almost everything had cannons or guns in it. It looked like most of the surviving passengers had gone by then – which probably wasn't a tenth of the original number.

The taller figure, a man with long black hair and dark violet eyes, shrugged. "Fifty Lien they die."

The shorter man, with messy brown hair and equally brown eyes, gave him a sidelong glance. A corner of his mouth turned up in a half-grin. "If they do, we'd have to step in though."

The first shrugged again. "Depends. Honestly, I don't fancy my chances against that. Besides, it's focusing on them despite all the negativity from those idiot passengers, so…"

His companion nodded. "True. So, why don't we just push the tide in their favour?" With a smirk, he raised his hand. Black smoke flowed from the limb and coalesced into a solid black longsword floating in mid-air. He adjusted the direction and took aim at the head of the Grimm before his smirk widened. The sword flew through the air like a bullet and scored a perfect hit on the Grimm's top left eye.

The monster roared and trashed for a second, but even then the injury seemed so minor it soon returned to focus on the teens.

The taller man sighed in exasperation. "You just had to do that, didn't you? We're on a fast-sinking ship with a Titan Class Grimm less than four hundreds feet away, and you think about showing off?"

He laughed. "Please, that was not showing off, you know what I can do. And if they die, it will go after the people and that will make our job much more… annoying to do. Besides, look." He pointed at the eye. "It is still in play. I'm curious to see if they use it or not."

His taller companion groaned and turned away, dragging him by the arm. "Sometimes I feel like your babysitter. I will never understand why you like so much your 'people-watching'. Let's go. Or stay, if you think you can swim all the way to Anima."

He just shrugged and allowed himself to be dragged away as he watched the battle with the same smirk still in place. "The understanding of a person's value is my greatest strength, you know. So, it's always interesting to see what they can do." His smirk grew a little more when he saw the blond male seemingly have an idea. "And how they can surprise me."

The black-haired man shook his head, still exasperated. "I don't deny it, and I find it entertaining as well… But you really need to work on your timing."

The brunette turned away from the battle at last, walking along his companion. "Meh. Nothing is perfect."

/-/

Useless. All their attacks were completely useless.

Bullets, blades, fists, Dust or Mana blasts did little more than sting the monster, and not for the first time since the start of their mission, Jaune found himself wishing he hadn't accepted that deal. At least he would've been granted a quick death and, who knew, maybe even a last meal. At least he wouldn't have had to die in a damn thunderstorm, in the middle of nowhere, on a blasted sinking ship and with a huge Titan Class Grimm gunning for them.

Yeah, the situation was _really_ bad.

Suddenly, the Grimm seemed to be distracted by something for a second before it began to trash. As it writhed, he thought he could see something sticking out of its top left eye – something that looked incredibly similar to the hilt of a sword.

Glancing at the other half of the destroyed ship, he tried to spot the swordsman, but the rain, coupled with the high waves generated by the monster's movements, made it all but impossible.

Still, it was worth a chance.

"Pyrrha, take the Relic! Blake, use that ribbon to throw Yang up! Yang, punch the sword in its eye deeper in, see if you can pierce the brain. Weiss, use those Glyph thingies of yours to keep her from falling to her death on the way back!" he commanded quickly, coming up with a plan on the fly. Definitely not the best plan, but it was one they could give a shot at. "Ruby, try to snipe at its eyes, it should hurt it! I'll try to charge up a Dark Matter!"

"On it!" Ruby exclaimed, tossing the backpack with the Relic to the taller redhead, who caught it with ease, before stopping to take aim. "Ready!"

It was Blake and Yang's turn. Taking hold of the blonde's hand, the Faunus threw her Gambol Shroud at an exposed pipe, embedding the blade into it before using it as a makeshift sling to launch Yang up in the air. The blonde corrected her direction with her gauntlets so not to accidentally end up in the behemoth's jaws, catching sight of her target before she began to descend.

Using her Damage Mirror Luna, she channelled all the damage to her Aura she'd taken from falling debris or slips on the wet deck and added it to her already great strength before punching the hilt of the black arming sword with all she had, firing one more shell just in case. The weapon sank into the monster's eye with a burst of gelatinous cornea fluid.

Then she was falling as the monster screeched and trash violently. A white Glyph appeared below her, but it only slowed her down. A second and third almost stopped her, and finally the fourth allowed her to jump down on the deck without injuries. "It's in!"

"Ruby!" Blake called out, and the reaper didn't waste time trying to snipe at the wounded eye. Most of the shots either missed or hit the armoured head, but a couple manage to pierce the torn organ. "Jaune, are you ready?"

"I am! Let's see if this works!" The blue-clothed Nightmare held out his hand and the orb of dark energy on it shot off as fast as a bullet, heading straight for the serpent's head. It struck true and connected just below its jaws, exploding and hiding the snout from view for a few seconds. "Yeah! We did it!"

As soon as the smoke cleared, however, it was glaringly obvious it was far from over. The explosion had cracked the armour, true, but the eye had stopped bleeding black ichor, and the monster was more furious than ever.

"New plan, run for you lives!" Ruby yelled as everyone retreated, running down the deck and away from the behemoth.

"I like that plan!" exclaimed Yang as they all regrouped. "What do we do now?!"

"Let me think for a few seconds! Distract it!" Weiss ordered imperiously, earning disbelieving looks from everyone.

"Ice Queen, you're _so_ owing me one for this!" Jaune shouted before jumping over to the ship's chimneys and charging up another Dark Matter orb, albeit much smaller. He threw it at the Grimm, only succeeding in angering it. "Think, Ice Queen!" Then he yelped as the monster reared back to roar once again, and activated his Dark Rose Luna to dash out of the path of the sonic waves that tore the chimneys apart.

"We gotta help Jaune, he must be basically out of Mana!" Ruby used her own Rose Luna to reach the boy before shooting a few bullets at the Grimm. "Over here!"

"No, here!" Pyrrha countered, using her rifle to admittedly just annoy it before she waved the backpack she was still carrying. "I have what you're after!"

Yang and Blake wisely chose to provide a third party. "No, here!" she yelled, unloading three shells at the Grimm, trying to keep its focus at least off of her little sister. As long as they could keep it focused on the Relic, but too distracted to just dive at it, they would survive.

However, the Grimm seemed to have caught on onto their plan. Without warning, it reared back and then shot forwards, ramming its horns in the spot where Pyrrha had been just a few seconds prior. The redhead tossed the Relic at Yang, caught it swiftly before shooting the monster again – in vain.

Ruby and Jaune were the next ones to retreat. Ruby actually had to use her Rose Luna to drag the two of them out of the monster's snapping jaws as it lunged to bite at them. The two reappeared near Weiss, who was slightly startled.

"Weiss, is your plan ready?!" Yang asked, panicking. They had barely stung the behemoth, and most of them were already out of Mana or ammo. "Do you have an Invisibility Luna or something?!"

"Of course!" Yang blinked, she hadn't expected that. "The Relic! The Relic of Treason was what kept the temple in the Jungle of the Lost hidden and unseen both by humans and _Grimm_! The power of the Relic can create illusions!"

"And how do we use tha-aaaaaaaaaaah!" Yang's question was cut off as Blake had to use her Minor Teleport Luna to get the two of them out of the way as the Grimm chomped down on another part of the ship. They ran over to the others, seeing no point in sticking around by themselves. "How do we use that?!"

Weiss took a second to think before her eyes fell on Jaune. "Of course! Only a Nightmare can touch a Relic – so it probably has something to do with Nightmares! Jaune, take the Relic and try to channel your Mana into it!"

Snatching the backpack from Yang's hands, Jaune grabbed the crown and took it out before wincing as foreign words carved themselves in his mind like a shard of ice.

" _ **The last of the four  
has finally awoken,  
Trick oh dark child,  
or spells will be broken.**_"

"Jaune!" exclaimed Ruby, grabbing his arm. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…" he replied, not too sure of that himself. However, he had other things to worry about – specifically, a several-hundred-feet long sea serpent determined to send them all to a watery grave. Focusing, he tried to channel what little slivers of Mana he still had into it, but nothing seemed to happen. "It's… it's not working!"

"Incoming!" Pyrrha called out, crouching and taking aim with her rifle. Swiftly and efficiently, she took out a special red bullet and inserted it in her rifle. With sharpshooter precision, she managed to hit the already wounded eye, and the bullet exploded in a small burst of fire. The Grimm reared back in pain and roared at the skies, and she could swear the clouds were being pushed away by the soundwaves. "Figure it out soon!"

Jaune frowned down at the crown. Why didn't his Mana work!? All Lunas, which were fragments of magic, used Mana! Why didn't it work?!

Fortunately Weiss, the ever-knowledgeable, had the answer. "Jaune, use your Dusk! That's what makes Nightmares different from humans, it must be how the Relic knows you're a Nightmare! Try to channel your Dusk _and_ your Mana!"

Jaune dared a glance up and immediately yelped, regretting the decision. The monster was coming back down. Pushing the crown up as if it could shield him from the impact, he channelled all his Mana and a bit of his Dusk into it, hoping for a miracle.

A few seconds passed, and nothing happened.

He dared to glance up, finding that his companions were doing the same as well, in awe at the sight. All around them was a sphere of light grey energy about thirty feet in diameter – but most importantly, the Grimm had stopped, confused and no more focused. Its giant head was swinging from side to side, as if to try and catch a glimpse of them.

It was as if they were invisible.

"Is it… working?" Ruby murmured, shell-shocked.

"I- I think so," confirmed Weiss, not looking at her but choosing to keep her eyes fixed on the Grimm. "It's like the Temple, when we couldn't see it. The Relic is shielding us… but for how long?"

"I really don't want to find out," Yang shuddered at the mere thought. She loved fighting, but that had been a one-sided slaughter. "Can the shield move?"

Jaune took a few steps to the right, and the sphere of energy seemed to move to the right as well. "It seems so," he nodded, a smile slowing forming on his face. "Hey, maybe we won't be Grimm food yet, wouldn't that be great?"

"Let's move to the lifeboats, maybe we can sneak out of the ship without being seen," Blake spoke up, probably drawing from her own experience in stealth.

"It's probably going to give up soon," added Weiss. "If it can't see us, it probably means it's not attracted to the Relic any more, which means that it has no reason to remain here."

True to her words, the monster's aggressivity had dimmed, and its eyes -though still hateful- weren't furious any longer. It looked at the ship in confusion rather than seeking something out. And it would soon realize that what it wanted wasn't there any longer, and go away.

Hopefully.

The group made their way to one of the lifeboats and pushed it into the sea – mostly thanks to Yang's and Pyrrha's inhuman strength and a couple of Weiss's Glyph thingies. Jaune still didn't know what they actually did beyond being platforms. Then they jumped aboard – taking care in coordinating their jump so that everyone remained within the sphere.

Thankfully, the lifeboat had been built so that any random passenger would be able to drive it. The controls were very simplified and straightforward, and the most they had to do was to regulate the speed and veer.

And veer they did, speeding away from the sinking wreckage in the first direction they could turn the boat to.

/-/

It had been several hours already, and Ruby awoke at the sound of rough and stumbling footsteps. Opening her eyes, she saw Jaune groaning and walking on the small deck before leaning over the rails and throwing up. She smirked. It was like on the train, though now it was way more obvious. The big bad Nightmare suffered from motion sickness. And suffered a lot.

With a groan of discomfort, she pushed herself up and glanced around. Aside from Blake, who was currently manning the control panel, everyone else was asleep. Yang was beside her on a makeshift bed made of clothes and blankets – they had dried everything with Yang's Fire Luna and a bit of Weiss's Fire Dust. Pyrrha and Weiss were also sharing a 'bed', though with their backs to each other. Jaune had a bed all for himself for obvious gender-based reasons, while Blake would take the place of whoever was going to switch with her to drive and let her rest.

After Jaune emptied his stomach, he turned around, pale and greenish, and glared at her. "Not a word."

Her smirk grew and she struggled to contain her giggles, but she didn't want to embarrass him further. She'd leave that to Yang.

"Has the storm passed?" she asked groggily.

"What do you think?" he replied sarcastically but weakly, gesturing to the clear blue sky. A few clouds could be seen in the distance, but they were too light to be a storm. "Good news, we're out of the storm and out of the fight. Bad news, we have no idea where we are."

"I know where we are," Blake piped up quietly, and Ruby was surprised to notice just how weak and tired she sounded. The black-haired girl gestured to the electronic screen on the control panels, which displayed a small map. "We're about forty miles off the coast of Menagerie. If we're lucky, we'll reach Kuo Koana tomorrow morning."

"Blake, how long have we slept?" the redhead asked, concerned.

The Faunus shrugged. "A day and a half. I found some drugs in the first aid kit, probably meant to be painkillers for survivors, and put them in your food yesterday. You all needed to rest. Psychologically, you've been through a lot, even if physically you're fine."

"Let me take over and sleep," Ruby ordered, her tone leaving no space for arguments. Blake smiled thinly and nodded before laying down in Ruby's place, beside Yang. The crimsonette glanced at the Nightmare still on the deck. "You're not going back to sleep?"

He shook his head. "Nah. Motion sickness wouldn't let me. Thank Salem Blake drugged me, or I'd be a walking zombie." He glanced around and breathed in the sea breeze. "Besides, fresh air might help."

"Well then… I don't know… look around the boat if you see any Grimm," shrugged Ruby, trying to think of something to have him do. She might've liked him more than the others did, but he could still be a handful.

"Aye Captain!" he saluted before marching off.

The boat wasn't all that big, but it wasn't very small either. It was still built to house more than a dozen people and bring them to shore. It would take him a few minutes if he was meticulous. Besides, the 'deck' went all around the cabin, so at least he would enjoy the view. Not that he'd actually enjoy it, but who knew, maybe he would. She really didn't fancy having his snark and complaints up until the others woke up.

A loud _thud_ and an unknown yelp alerted her that something had gone wrong. Since she heard no splash, she assumed Jaune was still onboard.

True to her words, the boy appeared a few seconds later. However with him, forcefully held and dragged by the arm, there was a young boy who couldn't have been older than fourteen. Brown dog ears peeked from his messy straw-coloured hair. He was dressed with jeans and a jacket over his T-shirt, but they were slightly humid, presumably because of the previous storm. If he'd slept with those, then chances were he was gonna catch a serious cold.

Jaune shook him, unamused. "Looks like we got a stowaway on our boat…"

 ** _And that's a wrap! Man this chapter was awesome to write. Especially since I love to write the heroes trying to get the hell out of the fight. In so many stories (fanfictions, novels or anime alike), the heroes often pursue fights and rarely retreats, so it's fun to have them so completely outclassed even Yang only thinks of retreating._**

 ** _And don't worry, the Relic only attracts nearby Titan Class Grimm. If they are too far away, they won't be attracted._**

 ** _Hope you liked it!_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	15. Fracture

**_I am here! All Might! Jokes asides, here's the newest, and as of now heaviest, chapter of Demonic Redemption! Yay for dark thoughts!_**

Blake Belladonna hated the spotlight. It wasn't something she'd been actually born with, this hatred, but she'd gained it at a very early age. Being the Princess of Menagerie in all but title was stressful.

Being loved her, and that was fine. However, people loved her a tad _too much_.

Being her friend usually meant they would improve their own social status, simply because her own status was high. In a way, she was like Menagerie's Weiss Schnee. With Kali and Ghira Belladonna being the mayor and mayoress of Kuo Koana, it was quite easy for her to be treated with respect by proxy – she was her daughter, and that was enough reason to treat her like a princess.

Not only that, but they were also the original founders of the White Fang, which meant that, in a way, she was also the princess of the White Fang. She was as loved as she was famous. People tried to shake her hand when she walked by the streets of Kuo Koana. She was the symbol of Faunus equality for many, being the daughter of the founders of the movement whose goal was freeing the Faunus from racism and oppression.

It could get quite hard to accept.

Outside Menagerie, it was much easier – people rarely ever received news about the Faunus kingdom, and that was perfectly fine by her. She didn't need nor want that fame – actually she really didn't like it. To be loved as a birthright just didn't feel right. If she had to be loved so much, then she'd rather be loved for her actions, not because of someone else's. She also didn't like being so easily recognizable – Ruby, Yang, Weiss and Pyrrha had all recognized her immediately.

As had the little dog Faunus who was hidden in their lifeboat, which meant he had immediately appealed to her to ask her to defend him from Jaune.

Who, attempts at throwing him into the ocean aside, hadn't really done much. The worst had been Weiss who, after the boy had seemingly been struck by love at the first sight, had more or less been constantly cold and slash or harsh with him.

That probably was also due to the fact she was filthy and they had to wait an entire day before they reached Menagerie.

The boy, a fourteen years old dog Faunus by the name of Terry Diana, had obviously not been thrown in the ocean. However, he seemed to idolize her. And she hated it.

He went on and on about her efforts to bring equality to Faunus during her time in the White Fang.

He praised her ideals and her morals.

He rambled about her family and how important they were.

He complained that she had to leave Menagerie.

He cheered at the news that she was going back.

Then he ran out of things to say and simply fell silent, something Blake was immensely thankful for. She knew the type. He was trying to ingratiate himself to her by singing her praise, even though he probably had barely cared about her and her actions up until a day prior.

However, what caused the biggest headache had been the mooring at Kuo Koana's docks, the morning after.

"Thirty Lien per twenty-four hours," the port officer asked her as she and Yang jumped off the lifeboat to approach the woman, some kind of fish Faunus with fins on her arms and on the sides of her head.

"Thirty Lien per twenty-four hours?!" a voice Blake had learned to hate just _had_ to speak up. Terry Diana jumped off the boat and ran up to the three women in an outraged hurry. "You're asking _Blake Belladonna_ to pay for mooring?!"

Blake silently let out a mix between a groan and a curse from under the hood of her now-tattered cloak. Returning to Menagerie was meant to be a small affair, with little fanfare and, if possible, no contact with her parents. She planned to call them as soon as she could, but seeing them in person would take too long, especially because they would drag it on and on, interrogate her companions, and probably try to keep her home, 'safe'.

Not that she didn't love them, she truly did, but they weren't the kind of people one could reunite with in just two or three hours.

The fish Faunus seemed taken aback for a second before the surprise wore off and a different type of shock showed up, the shock of having just asked money for mooring in a town that was basically Blake's property, even if not officially. "M-Ms Belladonna, I am truly sorry, I-I-"

"You did well, ma'am. I am taking up space in Kuo Koana's port, and as such I should pay for that space," Blake replied calmly, putting a hand on the woman's shoulder before handing her the 30 Lien asked. "I'd like not to cause damage to Kuo Koana's economy. However, I must ask a favour from you."

"O-Of course, madame, what can I do for you?"

"I'm currently on some kind of personal mission, and I'd like to keep my presence in Menagerie a secret as it could disrupt my mission quite easily if word got out I am back," Blake continued, using a mix of truths and lies with a tidbit of abuse of her status thrown in. "For that very same reason, I'd like for me and my companions to arrange a meeting with Viridian Tasso, today if so is possible. We'll be staying at the inn if you need us."

Viridian Tasso, the captain of Kuo Koana's guards. A beast of a woman that rivalled her own dad in size and strength, admittedly a tad overzealous at times, and a firm supporter of the White and War Fang. Also, a close friend of the Belladonna family and someone Blake knew she could trust.

"Of course, madame, I will immediately inform Mrs Tasso of your request. Is there anything else?" The guard seemed to be almost trembling at the idea of helping her in her quest.

Probably a new recruit.

"Nothing else, thank you," Blake bowed her head politely as the guard ran off. "And now, we just have to find some hair dye and new clothes…"

"Hair dye?" Yang repeated, horrified. "For who?"

"Weiss, obviously. Her family isn't welcome here," Blake replied. To tell the truth, the Schnees weren't welcome anywhere, but money and power opened all doors or so they said. Still, it was better to hide Weiss. She could play off the other humans as being there because of her, but with how powerful War and Blood Fang were in Menagerie, letting them know a Schnee was walking their 'holy grounds of the Faunus race' would be like asking for ambushes.

"So now what?" asked Yang.

"Shower time?" They were both startled when Jaune spoke up from right behind them. "Please tell me it's shower time. Dried salt water feels horrible and _so_ itchy. Tell me this backwater town in the middle of nowhere at least has showers."

"Of course we do," the Faunus of the ground bristled. "And we all need one, so first we get new clothes and a hair dye for Weiss, then we stay at the inn."

"Inn? You don't even have hotels?" She remained silent. "Hope it's an actual shower and not people throwing buckets of water on you…"

"Terry, go tell Ruby, Pyrrha and Weiss to wait on the boat for now. Yang, Jaune come with me. If anyone asks you're twin authors who want to write a book on Menagerie and I'm showing you around," Blake ordered, more or less used to stealth missions even though they didn't actually need to go unseen.

"Oh great, now I'm pretending to be one of those guys whose word output is bullshit," Jaune groaned once again.

Blake's cat ear twitched in annoyance. True, it wasn't the best plan, but if Jaune wanted to keep insulting her hometown, she might very well change her mind and ask Ruby to go with them. Only the fear of what damage Jaune being left alone with Weiss and Pyrrha stopped her from doing it.

"Actually, writers can be quite _silent_ when thinking on their next book, especially if they're observing their surroundings," she replied snappily, trying to convey the message to shut up.

The Nightmare rolled his eyes. "So, anyway, how high is the population of Virtuous here?"

"Next to zero." Surprisingly, it was Yang who replied. "Virtuous are in high demand, which means that Menagerie usually can't pay them as much as other Kingdoms. This leads to Virtuous mostly living in Atlas, Vale and Mistral. Vacuo is probably owned by Nightmares itself given how careless they are, and Menagerie can't afford to pay enough. Same for Hunters, even though some freelancers sometimes drop by and accept low or even no payment, like community service."

"I never took you for the studying type," Blake remarked, amused.

"Nah. You're right, I'm not. But the main reason I want to be a Huntress is for the thrill of the fight, so I looked up the places where I'd find the best challenges. Menagerie is cheap, but sometimes they offer free food and stay alongside a small payment for the Hunters who stay here. I don't ask for a lot, I just want to fight, and if along the way I can help people no one protects? All the better." Yang shrugged. "Menagerie can't pay much but outside the town it's teeming with Grimm. It's one of the reasons the government here tries to keep the people as happy as possible, because with so little protection from the Grimm they would be annihilated."

"You're right, that's also why a lot of secrets are kept from the people, to keep them safe. But the lack of Hunters is also what allowed the War Fang and the Blood Fang to emerge – Faunus who trained to fight the Grimm, who eventually started to fight people too. And it's how _I_ got most of my training, since even for someone of my status, hiring tutors wasn't easy." Her eyes shadowed over as she remembered who had taught her. "In all my time in the White Fang, I only ever met _one_ Virtuous, a woman called Speranza Mirage. Well, Mirage was her husband's name. I never knew her nubile name. She and her husband died a few years ago fighting the Grimm. As far as I know, there are no Virtuous at the current moment, and if there are, they must be hurrying onto the first ship to Mistral or Vale to put that skill into practice."

"Good to know I can wander without risking my head without reason," Jaune commented, walking away from them.

"Where are you going?" Blake snapped. Okay, she admitted it, it wasn't totally his fault. She really hadn't wanted to go home so soon, she had to keep the mission and her companion a secret to everyone, and if her fears were founded she'd soon find herself looking for some temple in one of the most dangerous places in the world – to say she was already tense would be an understatement.

"Uh, somewhere?" he replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Besides, everyone but me is female, which kind of makes me look like one of those porn protagonists Ruby's watched before, but which also means you don't need a male opinion. I'll buy my own clothing, thank you."

"Good idea, but you don't have any money," Yang pointed out.

"Back on the ship, people running for their lives don't really care about missing wallets or anything."

"Jaune!" Blake hissed, looking around to see if anyone had heard them. Fortunately, there seemed to be no one around, or at least not near them. "You can't just rob people on a whim!"

"Which means I can if it's not on a whim but premeditated?"

"No, it's just wrong!" Blake, and Yang as well, glared at him in disapproval. "Even if they died and don't need them any more, stealing is illegal."

"And so? Lots of people do that anyway," shrugged the Nightmare.

"You aren't 'lots of people', it's no excuse," Yang scolded him. To be honest, that excuse was one Ruby used to – though mostly when she wanted to buy something for her scythe. While she hadn't lived for as long as she'd liked with Ruby due to their parents getting separated, they still saw each other a lot and Yang was used to the girl's excuses, which meant she'd come up with her own comebacks.

Unfortunately, Jaune was not Ruby. His eyes narrowed and he scowled right back at her. "Well, lots of people follow the laws, but I'm not lots of people, so I shouldn't follow the law."

"That's not what I was saying," Blake replied. "It's against the law. It's wrong!"

"Stop telling me what is wrong and what is right!" Both girls stopped at the boy's outburst. Jaune's glare sharpened. "Ever since we started this, I told you that considering me human is stupid because I'm _not_. But you kept at it, didn't you? Jaune, that is wrong. No, that's bad. Jaune, don't do that. Jaune, stop being that. Don't you get it? Well then, for hopefully the _last_ time, I am a _Nightmare_!"

"I'm not a good guy – the only reason I'm doing this is to save my own skin. I don't have morals, I don't have scruples about breaking the law and surely I don't care enough to act human at all times. Why don't _you_ try to change a bit? Instead of telling me to be human, why don't you try how it is to be a Nightmare? Maybe then you'd remember that I'm not, nor will ever be, _good_. Also, don't follow me or I'll throw a fit right here to get everyone's attention, and let's see if the _Princess of Menagerie_ can handle the attention."

He stomped off, putting a lot more weight in his steps than he needed to.

Staring after him, Blake frowned. Something had to be on his mind – he knew from the very beginning he'd have to pretend to be human during their mission. He was usually antagonistic with everyone, but rarely put up a real fight – he liked to annoy rather than counter. A direct confrontation such as that meant he was already bothered by something else. "Do you think there's something wrong with Jaune?"

"I think it's the Relic." Once again, Blake and Yang both jumped as Pyrrha spoke up not too far away. "Jaune's the only one who can use it or hold it in its hands, and it just found out it attracts Titan Class Grimm, which we can't even scratch. Of course it must be scared, and tense. I just wish there could be anything we could do, because it might make the mission even harder."

"He," Blake found himself correcting her without even thinking about it. "Jaune's a he."

/-/

Jaune Luna Arc stomped away from the main streets, which was only one anyway given how Kuo Koana was built. The side streets were what he preferred either way. Less people, which meant he could have a small fit of anger without having to fear someone stumbling upon him.

The alleys that snaked away from the main streets only held some houses, given how the town was in no hurry to crowd up there was a lot of space and people built every house separated from the others. However, some conglomerates existed – a few shops had houses crowding around them, for example, or some houses had been built in a circle to allow the children to play in the inner little yard. Not that Kuo Koana had any kind of vehicle anyway. Vale was actually the one with the most cars, and even then people could easily walk on the streets without -usually- having to fear being run over.

It was in one such house-crowded alleys that Jaune saw a fleeting shadow darting out of sight. Obviously, he was immediately curious _and_ alert – most people could assume he was a Faunus whose traits were hidden under his clothes, but he was sure not everyone was fooled – if someone wanted to hurt him, well then he'd gladly walk into a trap and then blow them up with some Dark Matter spheres, just to attract his companions' attention, and some cuts from Désespoir.

He walked into the alley, but whoever that shadow belonged to was long gone. Suppressing a frown, he pressed on, trying to see if someone was hiding nearby.

Another shadow darted by him, and he froze.

Red eyes, dark skin, bleached white hair, black horns, something white across the cheek. Down past his neck, white and black blurred together, as if it was shrouded by smoke. As swiftly as it had appeared, it was gone.

He hadn't been able to see it well enough, but he could swear that whatever it was, it didn't look normal.

Shaking his head, he waited for a few seconds to see if the shadow returned, but nothing happened. He turned around to check if the shadow had returned to the entrance of the alley.

"Hi."

The voice was so feeble and so soft Jaune barely heard it. Only the silence that reigned in Kuo Koana's outer and smaller alleys was quiet enough for that voice to be heard. It sounded weak and sad, like a dying elder greeting Death as it came for them.

Having nothing better to do than investigate, the Nightmare interrupted his little search to look around. It didn't take him long to find the owner of the voice – despite all its chaos and disorder, Kuo Koana just wasn't big enough to have enough garbage to fill the alleys. They were huddled against the wall, almost blending in with their surroundings.

The one who had spoken was a little girl. Eight or nine years of age, he estimated, but surely no older than ten. She definitely wasn't in a good shape. Aside from her dirty oversized shirt, obviously belonging to an adult and used by the girl as a vest, and her scruffy-looking pants, she looked in poor health too. She was barefoot, which wasn't too much of a problem in a place as hot as Kuo Koana, and her thin legs were covered in soot and small scratches, probably from walking without shoes on. The arms that poked out of the sleeves looked as frail as a bird's bones too, and her face was too pallid. Her eyes, that looked impossibly big on her cadaverous-like skin, were a dazzling cerulean so pale for a second he thought she had no irises. Her hair was dirty and unkempt, and looked wiry and wisplike, while he could imagine it had once been a beautiful mane of violet hair from how long it was. Her skin was pale, almost see-through, way too pale for it to be natural or just lack of exposition to sunlight – which didn't make any sense given the city he was in. A pair of tiny stumps poked from her forehead, likely would-be horns.

Jaune frowned. Dusk, much like Aura, helped him not get sick or ill, but it wasn't a perfect protection. That girl looked like she was at Death's door, and had just rung the bell. He didn't really want to catch some random disease if he could avoid it.

"Hi," she repeated, her voice weak enough to almost be mistakable for the rustle of the wind – only that there was no wind.

If anything, the Nightmare's frown deepened. He had half a mind to just leave her there, but then he decided against it – it's not like he had anything to do. Well, more like he didn't care if he made the others wait for him. So he knelt, keeping a safe distance, and looked back at the girl. "Hello to you too. What's your name, kid?"

"Hope Mirage," she breathed airily, a brilliant but soft smile tugging her pale lips up. He frowned. He heard that name before, he was sure of it. "Yours?"

"Jaune. Jaune Arc."

The girl didn't reply, seemingly content to just smile at him. After a few seconds, Jaune realized he was still frowning at her. Disregarding that small information, he prodded her a bit. "Do you need anything?"

Her smile got wider and she nodded weakly. For a second, Jaune thought that simple motion would be enough to make her head fall off, but apparently she was tougher than she looked. "Yes…"

Jaune thought about what he had to do for a second, and then promptly sat down cross-legged. The girls could wait… all eternity, if he had any say in it. "How?"

The girl, Hope, closed her eyes for a second, as if to rest. "My uncle says I'm ill."

 _'No, really? Give that man a medical diploma or something…'_ Jaune snorted mentally. That girl was _obviously_ really really ill. With a sigh, he pushed himself up. "I'm sorry kid, but I can't do miracles. I don't have any Luna that can help you."

"What about Dark Lunas?" He snapped his attention back towards the girl, who continued to smile beatifically at him. "I can see you…"

A Virtuous. A sick, extremely young Virtuous, but one nonetheless. Just his luck. _'Well, it's not like I wasn't expecting to stumble into one sooner or later…'_ he sighed to himself, running a hand through his hair before glaring down at the girl, who didn't seem to be affected by his scowl.

"You can… help me. Only you."

Jaune scoffed, all pretences of niceness now gone. "No. Can't and wouldn't even if I could. Now goodbye."

"I just want to see… Mommy and Daddy again," the girl continued, a vein of pleading making its way into her voice.

The Nightmare rolled his eyes and began to walk away. "Well, ask someone else."

"They all say I will get better…" Jaune shook his head. That girl was just too sick. Maybe she'd live a few more years, but she couldn't be healed – not without a Luna. And powerful healing Lunas were usually very rare, or very expensive to hire. "It hurts so much…"

The boy stopped for a second. The girl's illness was obvious, but its effects on her weren't. He turned slightly to glance back at her. "Huh?"

The girl opened her eyes again and he found himself frozen on the spot. Those eyes were just too blue and too pale to walk away from. "All the time… It feels like I'm dying. I can't breathe. It… It feels like so many needles… are stinging me. All the time…"

Jaune pursued his lips and shook himself from the daze those eyes had thrown him into. "Look kid, I'm no goodie-two-shoes. But even if I was, I can't heal you."

"You can bring me to Mommy and Daddy…"

The Nightmare rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, turning to look at the girl. "I don't even know where they are."

"On the other side…"

Jaune waited a few seconds, then frowned. "Other side of what? Of the city? That's quite vague."

She shook her head. "No… Other side. _The_ other side…"

"What are you talking-" He cut himself off before looking at the girl, who was still just smiling at him like a tiny scruffy angel.

 _The other side_.

"They are… dead?" Jaune stared, shocked, as the girl nodded solemnly. He suddenly remembered where he'd heard the name 'Mirage'. It was the Virtuous Blake had mentioned earlier, before their argument broke out. The shock turned to horror as he realized what exactly she was asking him to do. "You want me to… kill you?"

She just nodded. "Please, Mr Jaune… It hurts. It hurts so much… I want to see Mommy and Daddy…" She teared up, and Jaune could almost feel how much she must've been missing her parents.

Killing her wouldn't be a problem. Jaune had no qualms about killing people, she was weak and even then she was _asking_ him to, so she wouldn't even try to defend herself. However… she was a little girl. Not having morals didn't mean he didn't _know_ what morals were.

Killing her would prove Ruby wrong, just like he'd been trying to do for a while, at least in his head. It would prove he'd been right all along, that he was a monster.

But he could still feel horror and sadness. He was denied the feel of positivity, but both of them fell in the realm of 'bad' emotions. He always felt it. Many Nightmares just preferred being sickened by what they were doing over not feeling anything at all. Some limited their crimes, and Jaune could guess it was because they weren't ready to kill even though no one ever said so.

Hearing a little girl asking him to kill her was horrifying.

He shook his head. "Kid… Hope… You'll see your parents again one day. And come on, no illness is unbeatable. Why not wait until you see if you can get better?"

The girl shook her head. "My cousins say I won't get better… they say I will stay like this forever… Please, Mr Jaune, help me. It hurts so much…" A tear escaped her eyes, and she slowly wiped it away. "I just want to end the pain…"

Jaune swallowed drily. He had to get out of there. Children weren't his forte, and children wishing for death even less so. How had he even gotten himself in such a predicament? Oh right, he'd stopped and heard her out instead of going straight back to the others. Next time, stupid mission in the dangerous desert would be his priority over dilly-dallying in the city.

"Please… The pain won't stop…"

The Nightmare looked at her, and felt something give away inside him. She looked just so miserable. The only reason she'd stopped him and not someone else was because she thought that he, as a Nightmare, would kill her without a second thought.

No one would kill her because no one would see what he could see.

She was right. Her future only had pain in it. Maybe she would make friends, or maybe not, but eventually that illness would remain. Unless her family won the lottery and paid for a healing Luna, of course, and even then not all illnesses could be cured. The illnesses of the mind were far more difficult to handle. Wishing for death? Even more so.

He knew a normal person would try to be optimistic, and say she was exaggerating. Most wouldn't even think of killing her. They would give some advice on how to be happy or some crap like that, and then bring her back to her caretakers.

As a Nightmare, he saw things differently. That girl had no future, and even if she did, most likely it wouldn't be worth it.

A life of pure pain wasn't one worth living. Special people, special friends, could make it worth… but those were few and hard to find. Call him pessimistic, but in his opinion, the girl was doomed.

He walked back and knelt right in front of her. Her eyes held no doubt.

Nightmares' Lunas could vary a lot. Between Corrupted Lunas and Dark Lunas, there was little they _couldn't_ do, much like humans. A few of those Lunas were present in all Nightmares. Dark Call, which increased the density of a person's negativity, attracting more Demons to them. Dark Summon, which just allowed them to create their weapon. And Dark Syphon, the ability to drain someone's Aura and soul.

Normally, only a monstrously powerful Nightmare could use Dark Syphon to suck out someone's soul, unless they were either dying or willing to die. The only time he'd personally used it was while trapped within Ruby's necklace, where he drained Ruby's Aura a tidbit at a time.

With a sigh, he looked at the girl. Dark Syphon left no physical injuries. It was the best call.

A normal person would _never_ do it.

He wasn't a normal person.

Cradling her cheek with his right hand, he pressed his lips to hers and closed his eyes. A slow intake of breath later, her body slumped on the ground, lifeless.

Jaune stood back up. He could feel the little girl's soul within his own, not even putting up a fight as darkness surrounded her. _'I'll free her later, when we're out of town. I have no idea how flashy that might be, but if it's anything like Dark Matter, then it's definitely better to be far from prying eyes.'_

A girlish giggle stopped him dead in his tracks. _"Thank you Mr Jaune!"_

Later, he would totally deny to have screamed at a higher pitch than the girl herself could reach. "Wh- Whe- Ho- Where are you?!"

 _"Inside you!"_ That sounded all kinds of wrong. _"Thank you Mr Jaune! It doesn't hurt any more!"_

Inside… He could hear her talk to him? That had never happened when he syphoned Aura from Ruby. True, it had never been a full soul or even a partial soul, but still!

 _"Thank you so much Mr Jaune! Thank you thank you thank you thank you!"_

Oh gods… she was Ruby on steroids…

"Look, Hope, just pipe down until I can free you." He really didn't want people thinking he was talking to himself. Not that he cared for what people though, but his companions would ask questions, they always did, and telling them he'd killed a little girl by stealing her soul probably wasn't the best idea.

 _"Thank you Mr Jaune! See you later!"_ He didn't feel anything different, but the voice stopped, and he let out a relieved sigh before walking out of the alley. Better not be found beside a little girl's dead body. "Can you… I don't know… not listen to what I say?"

 _"I don't think so, Mr Jaune…"_

"Just call me Jaune." Perfect, now she could also hear everything he said or heard. _'That's fucking great…'_

 _"What does 'fuking' mean, Jaune?"_

The Nightmare groaned and ran a hand over his face while he headed back towards the main street. _'Now you can hear my thoughts too?'_ No answer. He repeated it aloud.

 _"No, you just mumbled it! My uncle always says that mumbling is a bad habit!"_

 _'Well, at least she's not prying in my thoughts… She wouldn't like what she'd find.'_ Back to the question, Jaune shrugged before intentionally mumbling again. "Fucking is a vulgar way of saying having sex, but a lot of people use it to emphasise the following word or the sentence as a whole."

 _"Ohh… Okay! I'll fuking keep it in mind!"_

Jaune groaned again, and this time a couple of people glanced at him in confusion. "No, you're not supposed to use it…"

 _"But you did…"_

 _'I can't wait to get rid of this girl,'_ he thought, but he spoke differently. "Because it's a bad word. Only bad people say bad words, and you are a good girl, right?"

 _"But you said it and you're a good person!"_

Jaune frowned. "No, I'm not," he murmured before shaking his head. "This doesn't mean you can say it. Now silence, people are gonna think I'm crazy…"

Hope dutifully kept silent.

He really wished he knew how flashy releasing a soul was, just to get rid of the spirit faster. Being haunted wasn't something he was fond of, even if he'd been haunted for less than three minutes.

He thought back to his argument with Blake and scowled. If they ever knew, they'd probably yell at him and scold him, heck he was pretty sure they'd just kill him, mission be damned. After all, killing a little girl wasn't something forgiveable like stealing or insulting.

At least those thoughts kept him depressed. He'd always known being a Nightmare had no choices in it. Having those stupid, naive dreamers around just made the dull ache become a stinging pain, because they made him wonder even if there was no hope for it to become true. Because they made him think there could be an alternative when there wasn't.

And he'd finally proven it – who could redeem himself after killing an innocent little girl who had done nothing to him?

The others would be horrified and disgusted by him. He could already imagine their reactions – which invariably ended with his demise by their hands. He wondered who would be the one to strike the killing blow. Pyrrha, most probably? Or maybe Yang? Her temper was quite the sight to behold. Maybe Blake? They weren't close at all. Weiss was high on the list as well, given how he'd told her to break others' expectations of her and then perfectly fulfilled people's expectations of Nightmares. Or maybe Ruby…?

His feet stopped.

Ruby would hate him. She'd been trying the hardest to convince him that he could go against his evil nature, but once she learned what he'd done, she would look at him no different than how she looked at the Grimm – because she would be right. He was a monster, a Demon like the Grimm, and he'd just been trying so hard to believe that Ruby was right and he could be anything other than a monster.

He ignored the painful fluctuations of his upset Dusk, and made his way back to the others.

 ** _Before you point it out in the reviews, Jaune's actions weren't as bad as he thinks they were. True, playing God and deciding if someone else had a future or not isn't right, and who knows maybe hadn't he killed her maybe she would've eventually gotten better. However, she was in pain, and alone, and she asked him to kill her, even if the judgement of a nine years old girl isn't exactly the most mature._**

 ** _His actions per se aren't good nor bad, honestly, it all depends on what could've happened - had the girl healed, his actions were bad. Had the girl not healed, his actions would've been merciful. Eventually, it's impossible to call something like this good or bad because the action was bad, but Jaune's intentions were good._**

 ** _And the aftermath of his actions wasn't exactly cheerful._**

 ** _Whelp, gotta go now._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh._**


	16. Dark Mirror

**_Hello everyone! *dodges all the thrown rocks* *is terrible at dodging so ends up being hit by all of them* Alright, I deserved that. *is hit by another rock* Okay, now cut it out!_**

 ** _Yes, it's been three months since my last DR update, but I've been very busy - just not with this story. Anyway, here we go. 6k words of angst, hurt without comfort, and a little bit of setup at the end for the next chapter, "The Dead Sands"._**

 ** _This chapter has been beta-ed by my friend LordHellPhoenix! Check him out if you haven't already. (but don't check him out too much, he has a girlfriend)_**

Jaune was silent as he met up with his companions at the clothing store they were browsing, looking for adapt clothes – and more importantly _spare_ clothes.

He didn't even comment on the outfits while they tried them out, which was really starting to set off alarm bells in Ruby's head.

As much as he _could_ keep silent, Jaune had a very specific brand of silence, one where he was just too distracted by his surroundings to think of anything to say. Whenever he had something to say he did so, and he never seemed to run out of words when he needed them. But this silence was different.

She'd seen it before and it meant Jaune was thinking about something. But when he didn't tease her when Yang had the embarrassing idea of having her try on a very revealing outfit, she knew something was wrong – he usually pushed aside his thoughts for mockery.

Which meant that whatever it was, it was troubling him.

Beside the fact that anything troubling Jaune was bad news for everyone, she didn't like seeing her friends troubled, and he was her friend.

That was why she, still clad in her old, soaked-and-dried clothed, decided to talk with him, even though he didn't look like he wanted to talk. Sometimes all people needed to start talking was an invitation to do so – if it worked for her, why not try with him?

So she left the other girls to their browsing and walked up to the young Nightmare before sitting down beside him. They were quite the sight – two apparently humans teens, in obvious need of a shower and change of clothes, sitting on a pair of chairs near the changing rooms, probably meant for people waiting for their friends to change.

To say they looked out of place would've been an understatement. Even Terry, who was just sitting on his own a bit further away, waiting for them to decide what to do with him, fitted in more than them.

"Hey," she offered him as she took a seat.

Jaune just grunted in acknowledgement.

At least he'd acknowledged her…

"Something's on your mind?" she asked, trying to pinpoint some sort of sign on his face that would tell her where her help was needed.

"I guess…" he mumbled, looking dully at the floor and obviously not really seeing it.

"Wanna talk about it?" At her offer, he shook his head. "Okay…"

Silence fell between the two. Ruby distracted herself by taking out her Scroll and looking up some weapon maintenance tips and possible upgrades for Crescent Rose. The others would still take so much time she wasn't in a hurry to get an answer out of him – Yang always said she acted like a boy whenever she entered a clothing store, whatever that meant. For her, it meant not taking forever grabbing dozens of clothes and trying on every single one of them before picking just one.

"Ruby?"

She raised her head to look at him, but he still refused to look her in the eyes.

Instead, he opted for staring at the floor as if he might find his answers that way. "How do you solve an impossible situation?"

The young Huntress blinked at the odd question. "Well… you can't, it's kind of what makes an impossible situation, well… impossible."

Jaune shook his head, reformulating his question. "I mean… if you had to do something, something bad, but… I don't know… for reasons you thought right… would you do it?"

Ruby thought about it, but the question was too vague to give a precise answer. "It depends, I guess. On what reasons and what I have to do."

The Nightmare sighed in frustration at her answer and gritted his teeth, but all his will to talk had apparently left him as he stayed silent.

So, she decided to prod. "Why?"

"Nothing," he replied with a grunt, sounding not at all convincing. "Just curious on human logic."

Ruby frowned. What could he have meant by that? "Did you-"

"I said it's nothing!" he snapped at her, finally looking up to meet her eyes, and she flinched at the violent anger in his gaze. "Just drop it!" Still fuming, he turned away, even tenser than before.

This time, she didn't try to pry. His reaction had honestly scared her. Jaune might've been malicious at times, but never downright hostile or violent toward her, or any of them for all that mattered. Even Pyrrha was usually just target of insults instead of actual aggression.

"Shut up. Now it's not the time."

The whisper was soft, and she almost missed it, hadn't it been for the fact she was sitting right next to him.

Just as he glanced at her to see if she'd heard him, she schooled her expression in what she hoped was a good 'distracted' look…

Unfortunately, even though he seemed to buy it, he didn't relax a lot. He kept sneaking looks in her direction, but the angry tension didn't leave his frame as he kept stiffening every time their gazes met.

"I guess in a way, I'm doing something bad now, for the right reasons."

That seemed to get his attention as he looked up and stared at her intensely. "…what do you mean?"

Ruby shrugged. "I mean, yes, we're out to save the world, but doing so will kill all the Nightmares. Even the ones who are innocent."

He scoffed and looked away. "There's no such thing as an innocent Nightmare."

"You haven't done anything bad," Ruby pointed out, and he once again avoided her eyes. "That's why I think you can be a good person even if you're a Nightmare."

"That's just not an option. It's not in our blood. Nightmares can't be good people." He narrowed in his eyes and gritted his teeth. "Me first and foremost."

"I think you're a good person," Ruby said, watching him look away. "Jaune, what-"

"Why do you feel bad about killing Nightmares? The Demons have been killing you humans for centuries. This ritual of yours will get rid of all of them."

She knew he was changing the topic, away from his personal view of himself. "Because killing is wrong. I can understand self-defence and I guess there are some situations you just can't solve peacefully, but while I don't feel sorry for the Grimm, Nightmares are people. Killing all of them, judging them all the same, just feels wrong."

"Killing is wrong…" the Demon boy repeated, his voice almost devoid of emotions. "What if you did it to save someone? Does that make it right?"

Ruby thought about it, and then shook her head. "No. No, nothing can make killing right. But sometimes I guess you don't have a choice. Killing is never right but at times it can be the right thing to do."

The Nightmare growled in frustration and for a second Ruby found herself leaning back as a brief black flare of Dusk filled her with numb coldness. As the opposite of Aura, Dusk usually had that effect on living things. When it was in its solid form, like the body of a Nightmare or Grimm, it didn't bring any problem, like when Aura was kept within the body, but when it flared it could really be uncomfortable.

"How can something be wrong but the right thing to do?!" He sounded like he was trying very hard not to yell, at her or at the world in general she didn't know. "How can something be the right thing to do if you just said killing is _never_ right?!"

"Because killing is _morally_ wrong. That never changes, no matter how evil they are, killing a person is never right," replied Ruby, now _very_ worried. Not just for herself -as much as she considered him a friend, she was wary of Yang too when she got angry, she was just too unpredictable- but because he looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. She'd never seen him even remotely like this. Even the times he'd snapped at someone about his Nightmarish nature, he was angry, but this was different.

This time the Nightmare was not just angry. He was also confused, extremely so. There was also something else, something she simply couldn't read him well enough to find out, which had to be the core of the problem.

So she continued her explanation. "But sometimes killing can be the best path you can take to solve a problem. If not killing them would result in them killing innocents, then I guess killing them would be the right thing to do. But that doesn't make it okay."

"Why is there not a way to make it okay?!" he burst out, startling her and making her fall off her chair. Their companions all heard the shout and immediately came to check on them. Luckily, there weren't other customers in the shop at the moment, but the clerk and a couple of people outside probably heard him anyway. "What's the point of it being the right thing to do if then it's still not gonna be _right_?!"

"I-I- I don't-"

"Just shut up!" he _snarled_ at her, Dusk fluctuating once more. Ruby cowered slightly at the death-like feeling it gave her. If she had to imagine how being dead but not going in the Afterlife were to feel like, that would be her example.

As quickly as it had come, it was gone, and the terrifying Nightmare was replaced with a shocked Jaune Arc, eyes wide at what he'd done.

She knew he felt sorry.

She could see it in her eyes.

But she couldn't help flinching when he reached out with a hand, most probably to help her up.

She hated herself for it, especially after seeing how Jaune's face fell even further. Before either of them had time to do anything else, Jaune jumped back when a shotgun bullet whizzed right past his head and embedded itself into the wall, luckily not of the explosive type or the shop owner would have some serious words for them.

Barely a second later, a bullet struck him right in the chest and made him stumble before a wave of blue energy enveloped his legs, freezing him from the waist down in an ice cocoon.

Both of them looked up just in time to see Pyrrha dash forth, literally only clad in panties and a shirt with only one button closed, obviously having just thrown it on quickly for time's sake. The red-haired woman had her sword at the ready and in a second the blade was a hair's breadth away from slicing Jaune's throat.

Behind Pyrrha, Yang, Weiss and Blake all stood, in various states of undress, fortunately all of them had at least managed to keep their modesty. They all had their weapons out, although Weiss and Blake seemed less hostile and more wary, while Yang's red eyes said all that needed to be said, and Pyrrha… well, enough said.

Jaune quickly schooled his expression in a deadpan and looked around, trying to find a distraction or something to use to mock them. He found it almost instantly, in the passed-out body of Terry Diana, the stowaway, laid out on the floor with a massive blush on his face.

He snorted. "Girls, please, keep the NSFW scenes where lil' Terry can't see you."

Weiss's face turned crimson, and Blake too blushed in embarrassment. The two glanced at Pyrrha and Yang and, realizing they had the situation under control, darted back into the changing rooms.

Pyrrha was much less affected, even though a blush had adorned her cheeks as well. "What happened here?"

"It was my fault!" Ruby hurried to speak up. No need to have Jaune get angry at them too, after all. They would take it much worse than she did… especially Pyrrha and Yang. "I kept pestering Jaune about something and he got angry…"

"Ruby…" Yang began, narrowing her eyes.

"It's true!" she exclaimed, hoping with all her might that they would buy it.

Incredibly, it was Pyrrha the one who saved her. She lowered her sword and sighed. "I guess that's an explanation. Nightmares aren't known for their patience," she remarked, glancing at Jaune with a frown.

Jaune's face just screamed 'hypocrite' at her, but he didn't say anything.

Ruby repressed a sigh. At least Yang seemed convinced by Pyrrha's words, and the two went back to the changing rooms.

Daring a glance at Jaune, she bit her lip. She'd tried to approach the topic, but she'd just made it all worse. And even worse she didn't even know what the problem was in the first place! It had obviously something to do with morals, but what? Jaune time and again stated morals didn't concern him, so why start to care now?

She sighed and tried to focus on the positive aspects of the argument. At least the other girls now would try to take a bit less time changing and choosing clothes, their shopping mood ruined. Which meant she would have a shower soon.

Silver linings, she told herself. Silver linings.

/-/

Jaune hated himself at the moment. He hated himself for caring about morals when he shouldn't, and he hated himself for still thinking about a moral dilemma he could not change any longer.

After all, why should he think about it? It was done. In the past. And the past could never be changed, no matter how much one tried.

 _"Why did you shout at the nice girl?"_

Hope had been oddly silent ever since his outburst with Ruby, so it was only natural he would soon be hearing from her again. She was a little girl, even if technically a dead little girl, so it wasn't like he could order her to stay silent and expect her to shut up for long.

"Because I was angry," Jaune murmured in response, now really regretting not being able to communicate telepathically with the girl. Two souls in the same body could use the same senses, perhaps, but did not share mental processes. He thanked Salem for that – he'd rather not start thinking like a little girl half the time. "Because she said something that made me angry."

 _"But she was trying to help you…"_

"Yes, but sometimes people should be left alone, not helped," Jaune sighed, casting his gaze around to check if anyone had heard him. Thankfully Blake was currently showering in the other room, so it was unlikely for any of them to actually hear him, but it was always better safe than sorry.

Kerry, or whatever his name actually was, was watching some TV, but he looked pretty bored. He was also playing around with a coin, flipping it to guess heads or tails. Stupid game in his opinion, but then again it matched the boy, always in his opinion.

Pyrrha, who had been tasked to guard over the two of them due to her being the best trained and also the least likely to cause any trouble as Yang might accidentally give Perry or whatever psychological trauma due to wardrobe accidents, while the others just didn't feel comfortable sleeping in the same room as two boys. Which in his opinion didn't make sense since they had all slept together out in sleeping bags not ten feet one from the other. But again, stupid did match his view of most of the group.

Pyrrha was currently removing her hair from her ponytail, clad in her pyjamas. He really wanted to make a dirty joke about said pyjamas, but he really didn't want Hope in his head to then start repeating it. It would be embarrassing, especially having to explain its meaning to a girl who most likely never even got close to getting The Talk from her caretakers.

 _"I don't understand. You helped me when I asked."_

"That's because you asked," Jaune continued to whisper, trying to pass off his conversation with himself as mere thoughtful mumbling. Not that the other two occupants of the room cared anyway. "I didn't want her help."

 _"But you needed her help."_

"No I didn't." Jaune took a second to avoid snapping at Hope too before he decided to cut the conversation short. "Now I wanna sleep, alright?"

 _"Awww, I wanted to talk…"_

"Well, this body's mine and I'm tired, goodnight," he mumbled, not bothering to wish goodnight to the other two.

Sleep came easy to him. Rest, was an entirely different thing.

It was ironic that, as a Nightmare, he even _had_ the ability to have nightmares himself. Or to dream, for all that mattered. Normally, his sleep would be 'haunted' by scenes of violence or scenes taken straight out of horror movies, complete with the creepy music.

This time it was different.

 _Hope was right in front of him, looking scared. "Jaune? Where are we?"_

 _The Nightmare looked around, bored. It was a semi-familiar scene. The two of them were standing in Ruby's house in Patch where she lived with her mother. It wasn't very far from her father's own cottage, hell it was just a ten minutes drive away._

 _Only, it was in a state of disarray and destruction he had never seen it in before. The kitchen table had been split in two and the chairs had been thrown around. Deep claw marks marred the walls, and the door had been kicked in._

 _Outside, the city of Patch was silent, and a stormy night clouded the stars, filling the air with heavy rain and casting the house's rooms into a dingy darkness. The Demon boy tried to turn on the lights, but they didn't even flicker._

 _He turned to Hope and shrugged. "Ruby's house, but destroyed. Let's take a look around. You wait here, okay?"_

 _"Alone?!" she exclaimed, looking around even more scared._

 _The boy pursued his lips as he looked a the paper-thin, frail girl. "Yes. Trust me, you probably don't want to see what's in the other rooms."_

 _"D-Don't leave me!" Hope cried, grabbing him by his belt-tied trousers. He sighed and picked her up, noticing just how little she weighted, before setting her down on a chair he straightened. "P-Please, Jaune, please don't leave me!"_

 _There was a creak upstairs, as if someone or something were walking on the floorboards. Hope quietened with terror written all over her face._

 _Odd how she wanted so much to die when he met her, and now she was scared. Odd, but not too odd. Being ready to die and not being afraid of something out of a horror movie were two very different things._

 _He scoffed and shook her off. "I'm gonna see what that was – are you sure you wanna come along? It might get even scarier."_

 _"I-I don't w-want to be le- left alone!" she wailed, still clinging to his clothes. "Please, Jaune! Pl-Please!"_

 _He just rolled his eyes. "Fine, but don't come crying when you regret it."_

 _He cautiously walked to the stairs that brought up to the second floor and summoned Désespoir. Hope meekly followed him before she stumbled and almost fell. He caught her with one hand so that the sound of her fall wouldn't alert whatever was upstairs._

 _With a sigh, he picked up the child in his arms. It would be way faster that way. Besides, it was just a dream – not like he had anything to worry about._

 _The two of them reached the second floor, and Hope began to whimper and cry when the claw marks on the walls began to be accompanied by sprays of blood, the floor full of puddles of the stuff. He felt slightly unnerved. Usually, by then the dream would've ended – the monster showed up, he killed the monster, and then he woke up._

 _Ignoring Hope's fear, he followed the blood to what he knew was Ruby's mother's bedroom and peered inside. He wisely chose not to let Hope see Summer's mangled corpse laying on the floor in several pieces, and slowly closed the door._

 _Then he continued towards Ruby's bedroom._

 _"Ca-Can we go away?" Hope pleaded him, tearfully._

 _"No. It's a dream – you can't run from a dream," he told her, keeping his eyes focused on the ajar door. "It's best to just get this over with."_

 _The girl was shaking like a leaf, but she nodded bravely. Or stupidly, in his opinion – bravery wasn't a thing when it came to nightmares._

 _Pursuing his lips, the Nightmare decided to just get it over with._

 _He threw open the door of Ruby's bedroom and entered the room with Désespoir at the ready in one hand, and Hope held in the other – not like she weight enough to cause him any problem anyway._

 _What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. He felt Hope gasp in fright._

 _Ruby's headless body laid in a corner, her blood staining walls, floor and furniture, but that wasn't what shocked him – he'd seen her die plenty of times in the past fifteen years, sometimes even wished for her to just die, but never like this._

 _There was someone standing over her corpse._

 _Or rather something._

 _A hair-like mass of bone-white stuff topped its head. Its skin was pitch black, its eyes red. Spiked bone full plate armour engraved with red markings covered it head to toe like a twisted knight's armour, and a pair of black horns crowned its head. Its hands were curved into wicked claws. The torn remains of clothes hanging on the spikes of the armour. A damning smirk adorned its face._

 _His face._

 _What could only possibly be described as his Grimm alter-ego turned when he entered the room, and grinned as him, its cheeks ripping apart to reveal ivory-white fangs that glistened in the darkness._

 _With deliberate slowness, the monster raised its right claw, showing him Ruby's decapitated head, eyes wide in terror and a now forever silent call for help still stretching her lips._

 _The creature's cruel smirk widened. His claws flexed, cracking the skull. Ruby's head crumpled into a bloody mess, spraying the monster with her blood._

 _"Hello, Jaune."_

 _Hope began to scream._

Jaune shot awake, gasping as the screams continued in his head. Hope's horrified and terrified voice echoed in his ears as the girl cried out in abject fear and horror at the gruesome scene she'd just witnessed.

Jaune tried to tune her out. That dream had been different. It felt way too real. Nothing like the nightmares he was used to having. Grimm he could handle, but that thing… _what was that?!_ Some kind of monstrous version of himself?

He knew it was himself, he could recognize his own features even when they were distorted and Grimmified. It had been like looking into a mirror. A scary, Grimm, twisted dark mirror.

Dark Mirror…

Not a bad way to name that monstrosity. He didn't want to humanize it by giving it an actual name. A title would do.

Whatever that was, it had been created by his subconscious like all nightmares and dreams – but why did his subconscious give him such an abomination as nightmare? It didn't even attack him or do anything, really. It just killed Summer and Ruby, and greeted him.

He shivered. Dark Mirror's voice had been just as cruel as his appearance, and he didn't fancy having to fight that thing the next time he fell asleep. Despite knowing he couldn't be actually harmed, or at least hoping he couldn't, the monster had been simply disturbing. Especially its apparent sentience.

Hope's screams filled his ears again, and he gritted his teeth. "Would you calm down?! It was just a dream!" he hissed under his breath, trying to contain his anger.

Hope continued to cry. _"I-I w-want Mommy and Daddy! I'm scared! I wanna go home with Mommy and Daddy!"_

Growling softly as to not wake Pyrrha, Jaune tried to pinpoint Hope's soul in his own and enveloped it in his own Dusk before trying to make it pulse with energy in what he hoped was a soothing rhythm. He had no idea if it'd work or not, but he couldn't exactly start soothing her out loud, he didn't want to deal with her screams any longer, and he had no desire to stay up for hours trying to calm her down in whispers.

Slowly, her screams subsided and became sobs.

"Are you okay now?"

 _"No…"_

That was to be expected, honestly. Jaune sighed and passed a hand through his hair. "How can I help?" He couldn't exactly get warm milk or anything, but the sooner she calmed down, the sooner he could return to sleep. Even though even his normal dreams would probably have her crying again.

 _"C-Can you release me?"_

"What?"

 _"M-My soul… c-can you release me?"_

Jaune frowned. "I have no idea how flashy it is. You'll have to bear it a little while longer."

 _"But I wanna see Mommy and Daddy…"_ He could basically _hear_ the tears in her eyes.

He bit his lip. He felt a dull ache in his ribcage, probably due to his still racing heart. He looked around to see Pyrrha and Derry or whatever his name was both soundly asleep in their beds. Or at least they looked asleep, Pyrrha would probably wake up if he were to breathe too hard in her direction.

Still, if he made it quick, perhaps he could manage.

With a sigh, he whispered to Hope his agreement. "Fine. I'll try. But I make no promises, and I'm gonna interrupt the process if it turns out to be too long and would risk waking up the others."

 _"Thank you Jaune…"_

Her voice now was a far cry from the cheerful thanks he'd received after having taken her soul in the first place. Perhaps now she regretted her decision, after finding out haunting a Nightmare isn't all sparkles and rainbows. It's totally not sparkles and rainbows, in any way. Unless one counted the sparkles seen in freshly spilled blood under the moonlight.

He sighed again and concentrated on her soul, a tiny spark of sealed Aura inside the stormy sea of his Dusk. He felt her inside him and took hold of that spark with invisible, intangible hands.

Then he _pushed_.

He pushed her away, out of his body and out of his Dusk. The spark inched closer and closer to his skin, which began to shine brighter and brighter. He pulled the blankets over himself to try and conceal it as much as he could.

Finally, with one mighty push and a flash of light, he couldn't feel Hope's soul in his Dusk any longer.

For an instant, he thought he felt gentle, cool fingers caressing his cheeks before a pair of soft lips pressed against his right cheek, leaving a cold sensation lingering behind.

Then nothing.

In an instant, Jaune was alone. For some reason, the dull ache in his chest rose to the point tears came to his eyes and he worried about it being a heart attack. Then the pain subsided, and as usual, nothing remained behind.

/-/

"Why the hell is Shorty coming with us?"

Jaune's annoyed voice cut through the air, not at all helping the irritation she felt due to the heat. The fact he was also right only made her even more annoyed.

Weiss Schnee was not a patient person on the best of days, and today was definitely nowhere close to her best day.

For one, she felt quite embarrassed by her current outfit, which was way more revealing than she'd like to help deal with the scorching sun of Menagerie. The heat itself was a solid reason for her anger all by itself.

And then there was Terry Diana, the Faunus boy currently trying to keep up with them.

"Jaune, I already told you, I tried to make him change his mind but I can't decide for him," Blake explained wearily, sighing at the Nightmare's incessant complaints. "Eventually, it's safer for him to travel with us rather than try to follow us by himself."

"We're going into the most dangerous place in Menagerie and he'd be 'safe' with us?" Jaune snorted sarcastically. He rubbed his chest with a grimace. Blake idly noted he'd been doing that all morning, for some reason. "Couldn't we just drop him off to someone, tied up and gagged?"

"Of course not!" Weiss felt like she had to intervene before the Nightmare's suggestions became more violent and scared the boy – despite fully agreeing with Jaune on his presence with them.

"Why not leave him to the police chief or whatever?" the Nightmare continued, undeterred.

"Because Mrs Tasso was busy with a case of child disappearance reported yesterday that she had to take care of," Blake sighed, shaking her head. "Besides, I don't think we need her telling us about the Dead Sands to know they're the most dangerous place in Menagerie."

Jaune averted his eyes, and immediately everyone looked at him. He bristled defensively. "Hey, why is it that as soon as crimes are mentioned, you all look at me?! It could've been Nikos for all you knew!"

Pyrrha stared flatly at him before shaking her head, not even deigning him of an answer.

"Regardless of what actually happened, Terry would've just followed us – like he actually did," Blake continued, and Weiss had the strong urge to actually agree with one of Jaune's ideas, and tie the now nodding boy up before leaving him at someone's doorstep.

It was true. They had left him at the inn they had been staying at, but he had followed them, all the while gushing on and on about how cool they all were. He seemed to idolize even Jaune. Hell, _especially_ Jaune.

"I can prove myself useful!" exclaimed Terry, puffing his chest out proudly. "Trust me! I won't be a burden at all!"

Jaune groaned in disgust at him, which only made the boy look at him in even more awe. Weiss supposed it was because the boy admired the goth-dark-edgy mix that seemed to make up Jaune's personality, rather than taking pleasure in being insulted.

Of course, some people were into it, but she honestly did _not_ want to think about that.

"It's safer for him to stay close to us, if he really doesn't want to go back to Menagerie," continued Blake.

"As much as it pains me to say this, I think Jaune is right," Pyrrha spoke up, casting Terry an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry, Terry, but the Dead Sands are classified as S-Rank in dangerousness. I do not think it's safe for you to be anywhere close to them."

"But I got you guys with me!" the boy protested.

Behind him, Jaune silently mocked him by pretending to be repeating his words in falsetto. Weiss pursued her lips while Ruby unwillingly let a small giggle slip.

"C'mon Pyrrha, he'll be safe with us," Yang rolled her eyes. "I'm more than enough to protect him, all together it's just overkill."

Weiss glared imperiously down (or rather up) at the blonde brawler. Calling her overconfident would be an understatement. Weiss was aware of her own shortcomings, well some of them at least, for example her arrogance. She knew she sometimes let her pride go to her head, and that her ego could use to be a little smaller, but she also knew it was nowhere near Yang's.

To put it simply, it had been a miracle the girl hadn't tried to fight the Titan-Class sea Grimm all by herself back on the ship.

"Oh, whatever, if he dies don't say I didn't warn you." Jaune pretended to gag when Terry cheered. "But keep him away from me, he's annoying."

"Hey!"

"I meant it."

"Well, you are too," Blake finally snapped, glaring at him. "In fact, you've complained more than he's spoken so far. Maybe we should leave _you_ tied up somewhere?"

 _'In your BDSM fantasies?'_ Weiss thought snarkily before blushing at her own vulgarity. She shook her head to clear her mind. The heat was getting to her.

Jaune stuck his tongue out at her. "It's so damn hot, and this clothes aren't really helping…"

As he spoke, he pinched his dark pants as if they were something truly disgusting, to which Weiss would've agreed. Their new clothes really were indecent.

For Jaune, quite simply, it was a pair of dark blue trousers and some kind of extra-light open jacket of the same colour that showed his lean built, almost as if its only purpose was to lead the eye to his torso instead of covering any of it. Even his dark blue cloak didn't help since he let it trail behind him instead of curling it around himself, though given the heat she couldn't blame him. For some reason, he had several odd, twisted symbols similar to tattoos painted on his body, but even she could not read those kinds of runes, and she was fairly knowledgeable about runes.

For Weiss, she felt it was even worse. Thanks to Aura, sunburn wouldn't harm her until it actually began to be hot enough to boil her skin, so her clothes were made to keep her as exposed as possible, just like the majority of the clothes sold in Menagerie. That meant she was wearing a white top that ended well above her bellybutton, with a cleavage window she barely filled out, which she was admittedly a tad ashamed of, especially considering that Ruby had a bigger bust than her, and she was two years younger. Paired with the top were a pair of very short blue shorts that didn't even reach halfway down her toned thighs. She was pretty sure she'd been ogled by just about every boy and girl in the entire town. A light blue cloak helped her keep the Sun from beating down on her skull.

Blake had a similar getup for the top half of her outfit, only with a black top instead. Her pants were long, however, and just as black, which made no sense given the heat. However, she seemed used to it, so maybe that was why she wasn't dying inside. Her cloak was black, but she kept the hood down, undaunted by the Sun.

Ruby's top was even flimsier, a V-cut that looked like intertwined rose stems, and was obviously red. Her shorts were as short as Weiss's. At least she had the decency of feeling slightly embarrassed by her indecent outfit, and kept her bright red cloak tightly wrapped around herself, only opening it to let some cooler air in for a few seconds.

Yang, on the other hand, had no qualms about showing the world as much skin as she could without breaking the law for indecency. Her top was a sport's bra and nothing else, leaving most of her skin exposed. Weiss could swear it didn't even cover the undersides of her breasts, though maybe that hadn't been intentional. Her jeans shorts were so skimpy she could've probably gone with underwear and the amount of skin exposed wouldn't have changed. She also replaced her knee-high boots with some leather shoes. After much protesting, Yang had eventually accepted to bring a yellow cloak that she kept in her bag, just in case there was a sandstorm and she needed to cover her mouth or something.

Pyrrha was the only one who hadn't changed clothes, aside from shedding her armour. As much as Weiss didn't want to admit it, her usual attire was _extremely_ skimpy. At least twice as revealing as Yang's usual combat outfit. Without her graves to cover her legs, the warrior looked a lot more like a supermodel with that kind of clothes. She had graciously agreed to wear a cloak not too different from Ruby's in colour.

Terry quite simply kept his jeans and white shirt, saying he didn't need to change and that he was fine with the Sun. If it actually worked for him, good for him.

"Blake, is that…?"

Weiss looked up from the ground of the steep hill the gang had been climbing and gazed at the rest of the group. Ruby had stopped at the top of the hill and was pointing at something before her. Blake lengthened her stride, as did the rest of the group, to catch up with the speedster, though Terry had to break into a short run to keep up with their longer legs.

Well, to be honest, Weiss too had to walk a tad faster given she was so short.

As soon as the gang reached the top, Weiss halted, shocked by the landscape before her.

White.

White for as far as the eye could see. The glare of the Sun reflected on the sand was so blinding her eyes hurt, but she couldn't look away. The soft curves of the sand dunes were barely visible against the background of ivory desert. It looked like a giant desert of salt, the analogies further strengthened by the complete lack of life. As far as the sand extended, there was nothing. No plants, or cacti, nor animals of any kind. She couldn't see any vulture flying over it to look for corpses either. In fact, she couldn't hear anything coming from the desert itself – sure, there were sounds all around her, but before her, it was all silent.

"Yes, Ruby, that's where we're going…" Beside her, Blake grimaced. "Welcome to the Dead Sands."

 ** _Yes, welcome... Hehehe..._**

 ** _Now, I know a few wanted to keep Hope in the story for longer - but keep in mind Jaune's a Nightmare and they're gonna be fighting monsters. Not example something I normally wish for little girls to see, even in the world of Remnant._**

 ** _Furthermore, as a character Hope Speranza wouldn't have added much to the plot._**

 ** _But don't worry, the story's not gonna become dull just because Hope's gone._**

 ** _Now introducing Dark Mirror! Bet you liked Hope more than him. Oh well._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	17. The Dead Sands

**_Hello everyone! It's been a while, but don't worry because things are gonna pick up from here. Truth is, while I did know where I wanted this story to go, I never really planned each chapter beforehand, so writing it all up by inspiration kind of slowed me down a little bit. Now that I'm planning a little more, I hopefully should take a little less._**

 ** _Enjoy the Dead Sands! And for those who thought I would kill Terry, nope, that'd be way too unoriginal. I mean, untrained boy who's a burden to the group following them into a dangerous place and getting eaten by monsters? Seen it (more like read it). So no killing Terry via Dead Sands. Pity, but that's life._**

As Blake trudged down the hill, she was keenly aware of what she was doing.

The Dead Sands were a place so terrifying that in the past, Menagerie carried out death sentences by dropping people off in the Dead Sands. It was a cruel method, but unfortunately also the only one they could actually employ at the time. Without being an actual kingdom at first, Menagerie hadn't been allowed to carry out death sentences without the direct permission of Mistral, the kingdom they were once registered as a region of.

As time passed, Menagerie became its own Kingdom and the death sentences could be legally performed with either poison injected in the bloodstream, which was painless, or with a military execution via gunshot, which was used for the worst offenders. Even then, they usually had painkillers injected in their veins prior the execution. Dropping people off in the Dead Sands was forgotten and considered not just barbaric but straight-out inhuman.

She remembered that she'd actually been present when her father and the Guard Captain had approved the new law, which forbade any public or private transportation to the Dead Sands. If one wished to go, they would need to go on their own as Menagerie wasn't willing to risk their own people.

Immediately afterwards, she slapped her forehead as realization struck her. "Damn it! I was so busy with everything else that I completely forgot!"

"What?" a tired voice huffed behind her, making her jump slightly. She'd forgotten she wasn't alone.

"Nothing, Wei-" She cut herself off and turned around. The heiress was red-faced and huffing, probably more thanks to the heat than the actual physical strain of walking. Blake's amber eyes flickered up to where her white hood blended in perfectly with her hair. The black-haired girl facepalmed again. "Oh gods, this is a disaster."

"Is there a problem?" Pyrrha asked worriedly. The rest of the group also caught up and looked at her for an answer. She idly noted how Jaune seemed to be still rubbing his chest, and that he had light bags under his eyes, but she filed that information away for later.

"Two… maybe three," sighed the Faunus, shaking her head. How could have she been so stupid and blind? She'd gotten distracted and that was the price they had to pay! "First, I asked for a meeting with Mrs Tasso, the Guard Captain, and yet we left before we could even know if she was free. We should've gone to her for maps and everything else, but I was so caught in my worry that I didn't think about it!"

"We can still go back for it," Jaune pointed out with a shrug. The girls nodded as well, agreeing with his point.

Even Blake nodded. "Normally yes, but that leads us to the second problem – I forgot to dye Weiss's hair."

The girl scowled at the mention of such an act. "Why would you dye my hair?!" she exclaimed, jabbing a finger in her chest.

Blake pushed her hand away. "Because as I said, your hair is very easily recognizable. Without any obvious animal traits, even a white-haired Faunus wouldn't be welcome here. And the Schnee Dust Company the most hated enemy of the White Fang, which means that War Fang and Blood Fang are going to attack you on sight. We were lucky Terry didn't say anything."

The boy puffed out his chest. "Of course, I can keep a secret!" he exclaimed, winking at Weiss, who rolled her eyes with a sound of disgust.

"So either I go back to fetch what we need, or we'll have to get them when we go back," explained Blake, gesturing to the town, currently out of view thanks to the hill behind them.

"Why don't we send the little guy?" offered Yang, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the boy, who jumped at the motion.

"Who, me?" Terry pointed at himself for added clarification. "B-But I don't have any money!"

"You were on that ship, so you must've had some money," Jaune waved him off. He let out a yawn before turning to Blake. "Why don't we send him back, and meanwhile we go ahead? So when we get back, he'll be there with the hair dye. Besides, it's not like Menagerie's desert has many landmarks to see on the maps, it's just a bunch of sand dunes."

"I agree with Jaune, we don't need maps. Even if in Menagerie the Scroll connection is very poor, in that desert it won't help us to have a map. If we get lost there are no landmarks to use to orientate ourselves," Weiss added as well, drawing her hood a little lower on her head, as if fearing someone might see her hair. She was still red from the heat, but her breath had evened out a little bit. "If we send Terry back for some hair dye, we can go into the desert and once we get back, he'll be waiting for us."

Pyrrha stepped closer to Blake, so that they could whisper without being caught. "And besides, this isn't something we can tell him about. The Relics are extremely powerful. There's no need for Terry to be involved."

Eyes widening, Blake nodded. She'd forgotten about that part – mainly because she didn't think Terry would actually have the guts to follow them into the Dead Sands. "Alright, that sounds like a good plan. Terry, would you mind going back and buying some hair dye? You can then wait until we come back, which should be before sundown anyway."

The boy looked around, quivering slightly. She supposed he was really nervous about being in the centre of the attention. "Uh… I don't have any money…"

With the corner of her eyes, Blake saw Jaune staring intently at him. There was a glint, a reflection in his eyes, that almost looked like he was looking at something else entirely. Regardless, she focused her attention on Terry, who was currently being stared down by just about everyone in the group, although she was sure at least Ruby, Yang and Pyrrha didn't mean to be so intimidating. "We can give you some," she offered, taking out her wallet. Fortunately, Lien cards were waterproof and actually pretty hard to damage. They were designed to endure the kind of life a Hunter might have, which meant that anything short of ruining them yourself or falling into acid, they would still be usable even after a trip through the Grimmlands.

"Really?" Terry's eyes widened as he snatched the Lien, counting them quickly. "Fifty Lien for a hair dye? Didn't the mooring cost thirty for twenty-four hours?"

"That's because we docked in a place where only a small boat can fit. Normally, for the inhabitants the docking is free, and it's really unlikely for a foreigner to arrive on a small boat," explained Blake, recalling how it had been her parents who had decided to lower the costs for docking. "There's no point in making them pay a lot if we wouldn't use that space anyway. It's a token price, basically."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, and Blake could guess why. Her parents weren't greedy, so a lot of their decisions were aimed at making people happier, rather than profit, which was probably unheard of for the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company.

"Okay!" Terry nodded quickly, pocketing the money. He grinned at them, but soon it turned into a frown. "Wait… you aren't doing this just so you can get rid of me, right?"

Blake saw Jaune and Weiss roll their eyes in sync. Pyrrha and Yang probably wanted to, but at least they managed to restrain themselves. Ruby was looking at the sky while drawing circles in the dirt with her right boot. The Faunus snorted through her nostril. She agreed wholeheartedly, although she could guess that Jaune and Weiss wanted him gone for much harsher reasons than the rest.

"Of course not, we just really need someone as backup!" Ruby explained peppily, smiling at him. A bead of sweat dropped from her forehead into her eyes, and she broke the façade to furiously wipe her eyes while Yang snickered at her discomfort. "Ahh! It burns!"

This time it was Blake herself who rolled her eyes in sync with Weiss. The black-haired girl picked up from where Ruby had left off. "Terry, we need someone to remain here, to make things easier and safer for when we get back."

"You don't want Weiss-Cream to be attacked just because she's a Schnee, right?" Yang teased with a grin, and was rewarded by a blush appearing on the boy's face.

Blake felt bad for the poor boy. A crush on Weiss was the last thing she'd wish him. Except for maybe a crush on Jaune. Maybe.

With another groan of disgust, Weiss decided to pitch in as well. "It'd be really useful if you did," she swooned in the sweetest voice they'd ever heard her use, each word _dripping_ with honey… and insincerity.

Ruby faked gagging behind her, which prompted Yang, Jaune and, albeit reluctantly, Pyrrha to stifle their chuckles.

But apparently he hadn't picked up on the disdain hidden beneath the surface, because his eyes started to sparkle like stars. The boy went from quivering in nervousness, to shaking in excitement. "Really?! Then I'll do it!" he exclaimed, pounding his chest proudly. "I'll be waiting for you!"

"Now off you go!" Yang prompted him, shoving him lightly towards the hill and, behind it, the town of Kuo Koana.

The boy gave a mock military salute and ran off.

Staring after him, Blake knew he would tire himself out way before reaching the city, but that was fine. They were still pretty close to the town and they weren't in a hurry of seeing him come back.

Turning around, she caught Jaune still staring at the retreating figure of the boy, still with that odd look in his eyes. "What's up?"

The Nightmare just shrugged and turned away, resuming to walk toward the Dead Sands. "Nothing, I guess. I'm just glad he's gone."

Blake narrowed her eyes at him, but let it go. If there was something wrong, then she knew that confronting him about it wouldn't help – Ruby had tried that, and it hadn't ended well.

"Okay then," she said out loud, looking at the white sand in the distance. "Let's go."

/-/

As far as the eye could see, the white glare of the sand cut into their pupils like shards of glass, forcing them to squint almost constantly. The dunes were hard to see, as there was little to no contrast against the rest of the desert. The sunlight and the reflection erased any shadow that might appeared, creating the illusion of a flat expanse of refined salt. There was no wind to cool the heat or to raise the sand, something that only added to its reputation.

The air was silent and just as empty as the desert itself, no sound drifting to their ears and no proof that there could even be life in the barren landscape before their eyes. The only noises they could hear were made by their boots sinking in the sand or their laboured breaths. The stillness of the air was unnatural and it weighted down on their shoulders, almost as if it were a physical entity, hindering their steps.

The heat and the tricky terrain made conversation difficult, as they preferred to use their breath in the vain attempt to cool themselves down. But that was fine by him – even more, he preferred it. The silence and the lifeless land were upsetting and intimidating, but it wasn't hard to ignore the dread that crept into his bones.

Lost in his thoughts, Jaune Arc trudged through the sand, idly following Blake's lead as they walked deeper and deeper into the white desert of Menagerie.

Ruby was near the back, for once silent, and Jaune felt a brief stab of hurt and guilt. He hadn't meant to yell at her, but what was done could never be taken back.

 _'Besides, she'd hate me if she knew why I got angry…'_

His eyes widened as the rogue thought ran through his mind and shook his head. He couldn't afford to think that, especially here. The Grimm would come in swarms, and from what Blake had told him, the Grimm of this particular desert were anything but pleasant.

He cast his eyes around, but the glare of the sand was so bright he doubted he could've seen the Grimm even if any had been nearby. He supposed the fact they hadn't been attacked yet was a good sign, but other than that, they would have to rely on Blake's enhanced hearing since their sight was out of commission.

 _'Professional Hunters regularly die when they wander in here,'_ he thought dully, lowering his hood even further to try and shield himself from the sunlight's reflection. He wasn't bothered by it normally, but the sand was a perfect mirror and he didn't fancy losing his sight anytime soon. "Blake."

The girl, just a few steps ahead of him, cast him a curious glance from over her shoulder. "Yes, Jaune?"

"Why do you think Ozpin sent you girls?" he asked bluntly, not really caring if he came off as offensive. It was a legitimate question.

"You mean why do I think Ozpin sent teenagers instead of adults?" she corrected with a wry smile. She slowed down a little so that he could catch up and they could walk side by side. "Honestly, I've had this same thought a while back. We're just children, you notwithstanding. Would didn't he send someone more qualified for this job? Why not someone more skilled? We may be strong for our age, but if we even just consider the guardian of the first Relic, King Mordred, we only defeated him because we had you and your Dusk. More skilled Hunters might've been able to defeat him quicker simply by de-assembling him."

"And have you found the answer?" he questioned. He was slightly surprised by her admission. He'd already known Blake was intelligent and knowledgeable, but he hadn't heard any complaint on her part so he assumed she was a hundred percent behind the whole underage mission thing. The fact she'd questioned it too at least meant he wasn't the dumb one out for considering it.

"I suppose I may have found _an_ answer," she replied, shrugging her shoulders lightly. Jaune glanced at her exposed skin for a second, wondering how she hadn't gotten sunburn yet, before looking back up at her eyes. "He may have chosen us not despite, but _because_ we're still young. Older Hunters might not have believed him in the first place. And I suppose he also counted on our naivety not to sell the Relics. Besides, we can easily pass for a group of young Hunters looking for some live experiences, while older Hunters usually stay on their own."

He scratched his chin. He had considered that hypothesis, but it had sounded a bit too simple. Ozpin was a man of incredible cleverness and fully capable of gambling their lives if needed for a bigger objective. Glancing at Blake, he could see some of his own doubts shining behind her eyes, so chances were she wouldn't have the answer either. "Lucky us," he instead mumbled with fake cheer. "We get to risk our lives in the world's most dangerous locations for a bunch of old things."

The smallest hint of a grin seemed to pull at her lips for a second, but soon it was gone. "Well, for me and for the rest of the girls, we chose to protect the world no matter the cost. This may be something more dangerous than I believe we are ready for, but if it's what it takes to help, then we'll do it. The true unlucky one here is you."

"Are you trying to make me feel even worse than I already do?" A snicker broke past the barrier of her lips, but she immediately ruled it in, though her eyes remained amused.

Jaune rolled his eyes and glanced around again. They had been walking for almost an hour now, having entered the desert almost forty minutes prior, but the landscape hadn't changed. Behind them, the trees and the dirt of the road were quickly disappearing in the distance, but all around, the Dead Sands remained perpetually unchanging. He would admit it was really giving him chills despite the heat.

"Why were you staring at Terry, earlier?"

The sudden question caught him off-guard. He turned to her, taken aback, and found her staring right at him with intrigue and… something else… hidden in her eyes. The piercing stare only worsened the bad feeling he had, though probably unintentionally. "What do you mean?"

"When we sent off Terry-"

"You mean when we suddenly and brutally got rid of him instead of letting him come along and get killed here?" he cut her off, raising an eyebrow and smirking in amusement.

"Yes, though I'm actually glad we didn't let him get himself killed," Blake replied with an eye roll. "When we sent him off, you kept staring at him very intensely."

"And so? I'm allowed to look at people." Jaune's foot slipped on the sand and fell backwards. Before he could hit the ground, he felt Blake's hand grab his forearm and pull him back up. He straightened, slightly self-conscious, and dusted himself off. "Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome," she replied idly, still staring at him. "But I highly doubt you would've just stared at him, had it been nothing. You would've glared."

"So would you," he defended himself, crossing his arms and looking away.

"Point conceded," she nodded. She really wasn't fond of Terry anyway. "But you looked more curious than anything."

Jaune shrugged. "Like any Demon, I can feel negative emotions. It's hard to tell which is which since it's a base instinct, like survival instinct, but I could feel a mix of negative emotions in that kid." The two of them, a bit ahead of the others, began climbing up another hill. "Which is weird since he looked so excited to be of use."

"Maybe he's worried about staying in Menagerie on his own, he's younger than Ruby after all," Blake hypothesised.

"For a single day? No… I don't know why he felt like that, I was just curious." Jaune snickered suddenly, glancing at her. "Although Weiss's reaction to him was hilarious."

Blake thought back to the disgusted, fake-honeyed voice the heiress had used to convince the boy to go, and felt her own laughter bubbling up past her lips. "I guess all the Grimm within miles felt that."

"I'm honestly surprised there are no Grimm in sight yet!" Jaune continued, glancing around at the still-unmoving white sand that covered the ground for miles and miles. "I swear, Weiss's hatred for him was so strong Grimm should've felt it all the way to Atlas!"

"Well, it's not like you'd be able to _see_ them unless they were to come really close." She waved a hand to gesture all around. "Most Grimm in the Dead Sands hunt with their hearing, since their sight would be useless here, and are used to camouflage themselves in the sand."

Their laughter died as the words registered in both their heads.

"Wait, camouflage?" Jaune repeated in a whisper, trying to strain his ears to pick up any sound around.

"How could I have been so stupid!" Blake berated herself just as quietly, kneeling and pressing her cat ear to the ground. Her eyes widened and she shot back up with a frightened sound. "Everyone, watch out! Grimm incoming!"

"From where?!" Ruby exclaimed as everyone got into a fighting position. "I can't see anything."

"Spread out and keep moving! They're underground! The first line of attack of the Dead Sands are giant worm-like Grimm that burrow under the sand and can pick up sounds and vibrations from long distances," Blake explained, drawing Gambol Shroud and moving away from Jaune, who had already summoned Désespoir and was making his way up the hill. "We call them Sand Snatchers, because once they've got a good grip on their victims, they drag them under the sand to kill them. The sounds from the fight will surely alert all other Grimm nearby!"

"I can't feel anything yet," Pyrrha stated as she and Weiss placed themselves twenty feet apart. "It must not be close yet."

"Or maybe it's just deep underground," countered Blake, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter, once this Sand Snatcher shows up, the noise of the fight will attract every Grimm within miles!"

"There are no Grimm within miles!" Yang countered herself, glancing around at the pristine white sand. "There's just sand!"

"Camouflage, you wouldn't be able to see-"

She was cut off by a deep rumble underneath their feet, and for one Jaune was glad she had warned them, because he barely had time to throw himself downhill before something erupted from the sand behind him.

Jaune rolled all the way down with no way of stopping himself, the sand giving away every time he tried to grab onto it to pull himself back up. Finally he hit something that _didn't_ slip away, and felt himself being grabbed and pulled up by a semi-familiar pair of hands. Looking up, he suppressed a groan when he saw Nikos's jade eyes staring back at him.

Something flashed in her eyes for a moment -was it concern?- but as quick as it came it was gone. The champion pulled him back into a standing position before drawing her weapons again, eyes fixed on whatever had just arrived. Jaune dusted his hair off and re-summoned Désespoir back to him, having lost it in the tumble, before turning around to face their enemy.

Like Blake had said, it was similar to a worm in general shape, but that was where the similarities ended, just like most Grimm and their animal or legendary counterparts. Its head was split into four jaws, each with a long red forked tongue. It had no teeth but the jaws were made of white bone beaks, which would cut or crush the victim just fine. The 'beaks' were connected to a round plating that covered the whole head segment of its body. Like most Grimm, it had red markings on its bone plating, demonic runes engraved in complicated ways to form glyphs or words.

Its body was segmented, with white bone plating making up most of it, and like the head at least six feet thick. To prevent it from being immobilized by the armour, the plates stopped just short of the ends of each segment, leaving a span of black skin between each plate, allowing the monster to move freely while at the same time keeping the vulnerable areas as small as possible.

Since he couldn't see any eye on its body, Jaune assumed it was blind and hunted using hearing and vibrations, which didn't help their cause much.

"Aim for the mouth!" he heard Ruby shout, and glanced up at his target. The beaks were heavily armoured, but the inside of its mouth was free of any protection. With a little bit of luck, they might reach its brain. "Blake, Jaune, distract it, but be careful! Weiss, try to immobilize it! Pyrrha, if anyone is in danger, you and I will try to hit those exposed spots to make it back off. Yang, don't get in close!"

Jaune frowned slightly, a thoughtful expression passing on his face for a second before he focused on the matter at hand. He nodded. "Right!" Turning to Blake, he noticed she had been separated from the others when the creature shot out of the ground in the middle of the group. "Blake, get over here!"

His right hand left Désespoir, and a small sphere of dark energy accumulated in his palm. The Grimm was already moving toward Blake, so he wouldn't have time to create a blast powerful enough to bypass the armour. But being annoying was his speciality, or so Weiss said, so he supposed it wouldn't really matter.

He thrust his hand out, sending the sphere flying, and immediately began creating another one. The dark energy hit the back of the creature's head, exploding in a small burst of dark blue smoke. While he was right in his assumption he wouldn't be able to hurt it, it still got its attention.

"Hey, big ugly! Wanna eat another of these?! WHOA!" Jaune yelped and threw himself to the side, leaving the Dark Matter sphere to explode where he was a second before, when the Grimm lunged at him with surprising speed. The explosion kicked up the sand, painting the smoke white.

However, instead of recoiling, the monster pushed right through it and into the sand, disappearing from sight with a flail of its tail.

"Keep moving!" Blake ordered again. Jaune pushed himself up and sprinted in her direction. If he had to play distraction, at least he wouldn't be the only bait. The ground rumbled again, and Jaune saw the Sand Snatcher coming out right where Ruby was an instant prior. "Ruby, look out!"

"I'm fine!" she replied with a thumbs-up, having dodged the monster's initial attack.

The Grimm seemed to look around, although Jaune was pretty sure it was just listening and had no way of actually looking, before turning back to Ruby. A gunshot courtesy of Blake bounced off its armoured head, and another hit its top beak, but both lacked enough power to actually pierce the plates.

"Over here!" Jaune shouted, creating a firecracker-sized explosion of Dark Matter on his hand. The sound of both burst and yell seemed to get the monster's attention and its head reared back up, staring at them. "Yeah, you heard me!"

Perhaps it was the wrong thing to say, because the Sand Snatcher roared and lunged at him with a speed that far exceeded his own. He yelped and used Dark Rose, the Luna he had copied from Ruby, to jump back in time, and then brought his hands up to shield himself from the spray of sand caused by the monster's landing.

"Jaune, watch out!"

He barely had time to react before the sand cleared – thanks to the Sand Snatcher's head snapping forwards, grabbing him and tossing him up in the air with just a flick of its beaks. He supposed there hadn't been enough space to grab him efficiently, since standing up he was taller than the monster's mouth width.

The toss hadn't been very strong, so he only flew up for fifteen or so feet before gravity got a hold of him again, inexorably dragging him back down towards the monster underneath.

 _Bang! Bang! Schhnnck._

Two bullets impacted the side of its head, courtesy of Yang and Ruby, before a wave of ice froze its middle, leaving only the head visible. Jaune awkwardly landed on the Grimm's neck and was immediately tossed off by its spasms. Rolling on the sand to get back in a standing position, Jaune's eyes narrowed when he spotted the neck's joint, where the vulnerable black skin was slightly more exposed to allow for more flexibility. "Ruby, use Pyrrha as a trampoline and cut its head off!"

"On it!" both redheads exclaimed. The champion positioned her shield over her head, kneeling down and bracing both arms against the metal to make herself as stable as possible. The younger girl used the recoil of her giant scythe to propel herself up just enough to land on the bronze shield, before both girls jumped, sending Ruby at least forty feet up in the air.

Weiss unleashed another wave of ice to keep it in place, even though the Sand Snatcher hadn't even managed to crack the first. The creature raised its head and roared, but three more shots from Yang's gauntlets got its attention again, and gave Ruby the chance to aim at her target.

Crescent Rose sliced through the black flesh, severing skin and muscle with relative ease. However, the momentum wasn't enough to fully behead the creature, and Ruby found herself skidding on the sand on the other side of the Grimm before she could turn around and deliver the killing blow.

The Sand Snatcher roared in agony as black smoke began to erupt from its wound instead of blood, and the ice began to show small spiderweb cracks. "It won't hold it for long," Weiss exclaimed, preparing her rapier for another go.

"Wait! Don't waste Dust for this, let's just finish it off on our own," Pyrrha exclaimed before turning to him. "Jaune, do you think you can kill it with your Dark Matter Luna?"

The Nightmare summoned another sphere of energy and took aim. The creature's pained spasm made it hard to aim correctly, but the wound was large enough to be an easy target. "Only one way to find out," he replied cheerfully, firing the sphere and grinning once it exploded, sending bits of Grimm flesh flying.

The monster, whose neck was now almost completely destroyed, twisted for a few more seconds before slumping down, lifeless. Black smoke began to pour out, hiding it from view.

"We did it!" Yang cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

"It's not over, I sense two more Sand Snatchers coming, as well as a pack of land-travelling Grimm heading our way!" Pyrrha reported, using her powers to pinpoint the Grimm's locations. "The land Grimm are trying to cut us off our escape route."

"If we go deeper in, they'll surround us, but if we try to retreat they'll ambush us instead," Blake reasoned aloud, her cat ears twitching as she tried to keep listening even while she talked. "Running across the Dead Sands is suicide, our best bet would be to turn back now and try to run for it, out of the desert."

"They're right beneath us!" Pyrrha called out, sprinting away from her spot.

Everyone else followed her example and moved away using their Lunas to move faster, all except Yang who didn't have any kind of speed-related Luna.

Behind them, two more Sand Snatchers burst from the dune, scattering the salt-like sand everywhere. Their shrill roars almost hurt their ears with how close and loud they were. The bone-plated monstrosities both turned to face the retreating group, ignoring the disintegrating carcass of their kin.

Ruby was the first to reach the top of the hill, where she stopped with an uncertain look on her face. "Blake! They're closing us in, we'll never outrun them!" she exclaimed, pointing up ahead.

When he arrived at the top, just a few seconds later, Jaune saw what was worrying her. Up ahead, there were four other dunes between them and the solid ground, four long, wide dunes of white sand. Squinting, he managed to make out the figures of a group of canine-like Grimm, rushing across the sands on their left. At the speed they were going, they were going to reach the next dune before they could even climb down the one they were standing on.

"Keep running, the worm Grimm burrowed down again!" Weiss warned as she ran past him, grabbing his arm to drag him alongside her. She slipped and that very same hold possibly saved her life, since he managed to pull her up and closer to him just as the sand in front of them exploded, revealing the armoured head and body of one of the Sand Snatchers.

"Pyrrha, watch out!" he heard Ruby shout as the second worm-like monster erupted behind the champion, trying to take a beaked bite out of her. She managed to dodge to the side before stabbing her spear at it, scratching the bone plate but not reaching the flesh underneath.

He didn't have much time to focus on the other Sand Snatcher, since the one in front of him was already turning around, and it didn't look friendly at all.

Still basically in his personal space, Weiss waved her rapier and a burst of blue ice encased the head and upper body of the Grimm, immobilizing it at least temporarily. "Can you kill it?" she asked, glancing at him.

He shook his head. "I'd have to blast a fully powered Dark Matter right into its throat, otherwise that armour is gonna protect it. I suppose a few blasts might crack it enough to kill it, but otherwise this sucker is too heavily armoured."

"So we need a heavy hitter. Keep an eye on it and distract it if it breaks free. Ruby!" she called out, releasing her hold on him to move towards the younger redhead, who turned around at the sound of her name being called. "We need you to do that move again!"

"Right!"

Jaune focused back on the Grimm as Weiss made a platform above her head. The Glyph was black… which if he wasn't wrong meant it was a propeller instead of a barrier. Ruby jumped on it just like she did for the first Sand Snatcher, and the Glyph glowed before the girl was shot up a few yards, twirling her scythe to add momentum to the hit. "Jaune, break the ice around its neck!"

"On it!" he exclaimed. He had no time to summon a Dark Matter powerful enough to shatter the ice and free the head of the monster, so he decided to weaken it first by throwing Désespoir at it while he charged up the shot. The dark blue sword sank in the ice, web-cracks appearing all around it, before he de-summoned it consciously, leaving a fracture.

The monster's struggles also helped as they widened the fracture and expanded the cracks, but eventually it was the sphere of dark energy that finished it off. The ice shattered when Dark Matter burst against it, freeing the creature's head. The Sand Snatcher chose than moment to roar at Ruby, which saved its life since the girl no more had a clear target and was forced to improvise lest she became Grimm food.

She swung Crescent Rose a little earlier, the blade slashed one of the beak's inside, and fired a shot at the same time, which propelled her back in the air just enough for her to avoid crashing into the monster.

However, she couldn't stop her fall in time, and crashed right into him, sending them both sprawled to the ground.

Groaning, Jaune pushed himself in a sitting position and pushed her off of himself. The girl sat up as well, smiling sheepishly at him. "Sorry, Jaune," she laughed nervously.

The Nightmare ignored her and looked back at the Sand Snatcher, that managed to free itself of the ice. The Grimm turned to face the two of them, whose fall had obviously caused enough vibrations for it to pinpoint their location, and roared again, preparing to attack.

Jaune gritted his teeth and summoned a Dark Matter in either hand. While he had used more Mana than he'd like for a single fight, he still had more than enough for this. If that thing wanted something to eat, then he'd give it a spice it wouldn't forget anytime soon.

However, before he could even fire both Dark Lunas at it, the Grimm suddenly turned away, facing the horizon, and dived down into the sand. Not too far away, the second Sand Snatcher burrowed down as well, disengaging from Yang, Pyrrha and Blake, all of who looked surprised by the sudden retreat.

"Perhaps they are leaving to allow other Grimm to attack?" Yang hypothesised, looking around. "Those dog-like things are leaving too, should we make a break for it?"

"Those dog-like things are called Cadejos, and no, Grimm don't stop attacking to leave their victims to others, not unless their Alpha demands the kill," Blake replied, still staring at the retreating canine Grimm. She turned to them with a frown on her face. "I don't understand, why would they leave?"

"Well, Weiss, you know everything, so what do you think?" Jaune asked, pulling himself up and dusting the sand off his clothes and out of his hair. Ruby was doing the same beside him, though the sand in her top was probably annoying her more than the sand in his hair did, if her muttered complaints were anything to go by. The Nightmare looked at the white-haired girl and shrugged. "When have Grimm ever ran away from people they could easily kill?"

"There is no reason, period," she replied, shaking her head. "Not unless they were in severe danger."

"Or maybe they are just regrouping," Blake interjected, shaking her head. "No, I don't think this is over. Whatever just happened, it wasn't normal."

"Blake." At the sound of her name being called, the black-haired Faunus glanced at Pyrrha, who was staring at something in the distance. "Do you think the Grimm would try to run away from a sandstorm?"

Blake frowned. There wasn't even the slightest breath of wind. "No, any Grimm can easily power through a sandstorm. Especially if they have so much armour."

Jaune came up beside Pyrrha and stared at the horizon too. Was it just him, or did the dunes look taller than they had three minutes prior? "Is that what I think it is?" he asked out loud.

Blake followed their eyes, squinting to try and ignore the glare of the sand. "That does look like a sandstorm, but there isn't any wind. This sand is easy to lift so it wouldn't need much, but we would still feeling it. Something's not right."

"Of course it isn't, Grimm don't run away randomly," Weiss replied, but Jaune tuned out the rest of their conversation, focusing on the incoming sandstorm.

He could see something amidst the raised white sand, so fine it looked like smoke. A slightly darker silhouette of something moving inside the clouds, which were getting bigger and bigger at an alarming rate. _'No sandstorm could ever go that fast, not without us feeling the wind too,'_ he reasoned with a dark frown on his face. _'And what is that thing? Is it a Sand Snatcher?'_

His eyes widened when he spotted two red dots on top of that thing. Eyes. _Red eyes_. And Sand Snatchers didn't have eyes. Squinting hard, he paled when he realized that the thing moving in the sand was _far_ bigger than any Sand Snatcher, comparable to the size of the very dune it was walking on.

 _'Didn't Blake warn us about a sandstorm in this particular desert, one that doesn't follow physics and is the most dangerous place in this entire desert?'_ he recalled, his alarm growing as he realized that the sandstorm, while massive, was still far and that he had underestimated the speed of the wind that was moving it.

 _'The Cursed Sands.'_

"Run," he breathed, turning away and breaking into a sprint as he headed for the outer side of the desert. He grabbed Weiss and Ruby, bodily dragging them after him. "For Salem's sake, RUN!"


End file.
